Regeneration
by musicnotes093
Summary: "It's alright. It's just starting over. I can do this. I can do this." [[Sequel to "In the Wake of Vultures"]]
1. i

**Title:** _"_ _Regeneration"_

 **Rating:** T, just to be safe

 **Genre:** drama, friendship

 **Character(s):** Leo, Douglas, Janice and OCs – lots and lots of them (okay, no, really – it's just a handful *grins* )

 **Pairing(s):** there are quite a few, but let's keep them all a surprise

 **Summary:** "It's alright. It's just starting over. I can do this. I can do this." [[Sequel to "In the Wake of Vultures"]]

 **Notes:** Welp, this was inevitable, wasn't it? After a lot of falling apart, a coming back together is necessary. :)

After I finished working on the prequel to this, I started getting ideas for the third one, and they all turned out to be pretty good! What makes it all the better is that a number of you who had left reviews for the most recent story in the trilogy (wow, it's a trilogy now!) asked for another story, so I'm glad that I'd get to share this with everyone who's interested to see where Leo's life will be heading after everything that happened. So, this is dedicated to you.

Just a brief note regarding the length both of the time covered in the story and the chapters. As far as time, this would cover about two and a half years of the main characters' lives. As far as chapters, there would be five, but they'll be kind of long since each chapter will have events that will take place within a period of about six months.

Also, this goes off with what's been set up in the two preceding stories, so this is going the AR route where the events of season four never happened at all. I guess it's also AU in that Daniel and all the characters we were introduced to in that season don't exist.

Head's up: this is still not a happy story, but that's only going to be in the beginning. It'll get better over time.

Anyways, I've intro'd long enough. Please enjoy!

* * *

 _i._

The longer Leo watches the dreary and frozen landscape outside, the more he realizes that coming to Vermont even towards the end February hadn't been the best idea. The meter on the dashboard says it's about ten degrees. He doesn't doubt it. When he and Douglas got out of the airport earlier to walk to the car rental place, he felt the cutting air, thick and nearly smothering. They weren't out in it for long, but that few minutes sufficed for him to form the opinion that he doesn't like the bitter cold of the east.

It's good that they decided to bring only what's completely necessary – namely, their clothes and a number of important possessions. Unloading a truck in this kind of weather would have been disastrous.

Plus, because of the three thousand mile travel, he's tired. Through his silence as he drives to their destination, Leo can tell that Douglas is tired, too. The few boxes and bags that they have to bring in once they reach the house would be enough work for them for the day.

He spots the duplex after they turn into the street the GPS told them to turn to. He sees the identical chimneys perched on top of the long and wide roof emitting clouds of smoke, and it only adds to the melancholy of the scene that stretches blocks ahead of them. Almost every house and every barren tree are covered with snow.

It's the first time it really hits him that he's not in California anymore.

The house on the right side of the duplex has its storm door shut close but inside door open. There's a faint yellow glow coming from inside. Leo looks at the steps as they pull in. It's shoveled and salted, no doubt cleared just for them. He guesses his mother wasn't exaggerating when she said that his aunt was more than happy to provide a home for him for the time being.

"This is the house, right?" Douglas asks as he unbuckles his seatbelt.

"I'm not really sure," Leo says.

The door to the right house opens as soon as Douglas opens his door to get out. A woman in her mid-thirties, with her shoulder-length curly hair peeking from underneath the warm and sensible hood of her bubble coat, hurriedly descends the steps with an excited grin on her face. Leo smiles widely as he gets out of the car to meet her. "Leo! You're finally here!" she chirps before encasing the teenager in a big hug.

"Hi, Aunt Janice," Leo says as he embraces her back. "Long time no see."

Janice playfully swats him on the arm as she disengages. "You keep telling me you'll come visit but you never did," she says. She gazes at his face for a moment then says, "Look at you. You were just, what, thirteen when I left? You're a man now. You're even taller than I am! How dare you!"

Leo chuckles. Stepping back, he says, "Aunt Janice, this is Douglas, Big D's younger brother."

Douglas nods at her after pulling out one of the bags out of the trunk. "Hello. How are you?"

"Good," Janice says with a small smile, and Leo can tell that she's a little suspicious of him. "Oh. Uh, Tasha's probably told you that I said I could find a place for you to stay in, but I didn't find any within the price range you mentioned. My tenant moved out just a month ago. For right now, the left house is the only place I can get for you. I hope that's alright."

"Yes, that's fine," Douglas says.

"Alright," Janice says.

The abrupt halt in the conversation slowly descends into an awkward silence, but the addition of the new person into their group nulls it. Another woman who's the same age as Janice, blonde and with an eager pace, comes down to the driveway to join them.

"Leo, you remember Claire, right?" Janice says with a warm smile after glancing at her best friend.

"Of course. How are you doing, Aunt Claire?" Leo says with a smile as the woman gives him a quick hug.

"Not too bad, darling. Not too bad," Claire says. "And you?"

"I'm good."

"My, look at you. Didn't you turn out to be a handsome fella," Claire says with her hands cupping the teenaged boy's face as she takes a closer look at him. Leo, who's used to her loud and colorful personality, only chuckles. "You know, I know of a few girls who need a man like you."

"Claire!" Janice chastises as Leo laughs. "He's only been here a few minutes."

"It's just a comment, Janice. Please. Don't freak out," Claire says with a smirk.

"These are Leo's bags," Douglas tells Janice as he emerges from behind them with the items. "Where do these go?"

"You can just put them in the living room for now," Janice says with a smile.

Douglas nods curtly before ascending up the steps to the house, struggling against the inclination to shiver due to the icy breeze that blows by. Meanwhile, Janice watches him worriedly, knowing that weather is just one of the few things he will soon need to get used to. Leo was also looking at Douglas worriedly – but for a different reason. "If he's gonna live next door to us, you're gonna need a fire extinguisher," he tells his aunt.

"I'll say," Claire says as she gazes at the newcomer appreciatively. When Janice and Leo look at her simultaneously, the former with an expression of shock while the other with a deep frown, she shrugs. "What? He's a good looking guy," she says defensively. To her best friend she says, "I mean, you don't like him, right?"

Janice sighs. "Oh, Claire…"

* * *

The next few days are spent settling down to new homes and unpacking. Again, Leo found himself thankful that he didn't have too many things with him since moving his possessions into the upstairs bedroom that his aunt happily presented to him was relatively quick and easy. He didn't even have time to really appreciate the preparation that was done for him until yesterday, when he was lying down and realized that his aunt had gone out of her way to buy him a nice size bed, a desk, and some clothes and shoes that he can use until summer in case he didn't bring enough.

It even struck him then that Douglas' new home is modestly but fully equipped with the appliances and furniture he needs.

He guesses these things didn't really occur to him until recently because all he has done was sleep.

Since he has more energy to spend today, he decides to clear out the last packed bags he had and to put everything in place. As he folds his clothes, it comes to him how surreal everything feels. It's so quiet there, unlike the island where almost every corner is teeming with activity and chatter. It's so still. All he can hear is the mechanical stream of the heater and the low whistle of the wind passing by outside. From the gap between his curtains, he can see frail fluffs of snow twirling downwards from above. It's painfully beautiful to watch.

His thoughts are interrupted by two soft knocks on the door. Janice smiles when he looks up at her. "Hey," she says. "May I come in?"

Leo nods, a small smile tugging at an edge of his lips. "Of course," he says, scooting over to make room.

Janice sits down beside him, places the envelopes in her hand to her lap, and then says, "So, I was able to finally talk to the lady that runs the online school I've told your mom about, and she said that they can transfer your credits and take you in."

"Really?" Leo asks with an excited grin.

"Yeah really."

"How were you able to convince her to do that?"

"Well, I explained to her the situation and that it's necessary. I also reasoned that you only need a few more credits to graduate anyways. She didn't seem very favorable towards it, but after working in universities for years, I've learned how to work things around," Janice says with a pleased expression.

"Ah, you're the best, Aunt Janice," Leo says, giving her a quick hug.

"Don't thank me yet. We may have gotten past the registration problem, but you've got quite a workload ahead of you, mister," Janice points out. "Because the classes had been ongoing, you're at least a month behind on schoolwork. As soon as you're signed up, you need to get cracking on those if you want to graduate this spring."

"Okay. I have nothing else to do anyways. Might as well do something productive."

"You say that now, but once you get to see what you've got on your plate, you're gonna wish you were never accepted."

Leo chuckles, and then returns to his previous task of folding clothes.

"Here. I just wanted to give you these," Janice says as she places the envelopes on his bed. "It's just information sent to me by the online school, but you should give it a read, too. It has the website where you can look at your schedule, your classes, and your homework and projects."

"Okay. Thanks. I'll get started on it this afternoon."

Janice nods. Then, she says carefully a moment later, "I also wanted to see if you'd be willing to tell me why you left Mission Creek." Seeing the flicker of discomfort on her nephew's face, she adds kindly, "Your mother was really upset when she told me bits and pieces of what happened over the phone two weeks ago, and though I have a vague understanding, I'm left wondering about your side of the story. I'm not asking you to tell me everything, just – give me an idea where you're at and what I can help you with, because that's what I'm ultimately here for."

Leo hesitates to answer at first. "If I tell you, will I be talking to Dr. Janice Dooley the shrink or just normal Aunt Janice?" he asks seriously.

Janice chuckles. "When I'm off the clock, sweetheart, Dr. Dooley doesn't exist," she assures him. "And with you, unless you need professional advice, I'm always going to be Aunt first."

Leo weighs his options for a while. Then, he speaks. "I just needed a new start," he says quietly. "Leaving was the best move for me and everyone else. Things were just…not working out."

"I see," Janice says with a sympathetic nod. "Do you mind if I ask what exactly wasn't working out?"

Leo forces a smile, one that assures his aunt that he doesn't mind the pain even if he really does. "Being in that island," he says.

"The fight, right?"

It was more than the fight. Lately, it's beginning to slowly dawn on him what had really happened. He was cast aside and caged. Three years of loyalty, and his only reward was anger and resentment. He may not have been as important to keeping the world safe as they were, but he certainly didn't deserve that. "It was the disappointment, really," he says as the real reason for his departure finally strikes him, not realizing that what's only meant to be in his mind has come out of his mouth.

Aware of this, Janice says nothing.

Memories of what has happened come back, but Leo refuses to entertain them anymore. He's not here to be bitter and miserable. He's here to start over and prove to himself that he's going to be okay. A smirk stretches across his face as he turns to his aunt. "Did Mom tell you about the abilities?" he asks.

Janice grins. "Yeah, she did," she says. Chuckling, she adds, "She also told me that Grandma freaked out about it."

Leo laughs. "Yes, she did."

"So you're bionic now, too, huh," Janice notes with a nudge. "How come I didn't hear about you on TV?"

Leo shrugs. "I guess no one really needed to know."

"Besides Grandma and Grandpa, is there anyone else outside the family who knows?"

"Janelle."

"Oh. That's your girlfriend, right?"

"No. She's not."

Janice frowns before a look of understanding comes to her features. "Oh. No long distance relationship for you both, then."

"No. She told me the last time I saw her that apparently, we were never really together."

Janice's brows hitch. "Really."

"What a life I've got, right?" Leo says with a grin. Then, he asks excitedly, "Want to see what I can do? It's pretty cool."

"It's not gonna bring down the house, right?" Janice asks cautiously.

"No, no. It's just…" He brings his right hand in front of him and then gradually activates a laser sphere until a small glowing mass of energy sits within his palm.

Janice gasps as she stares at it. "Wow," she says, amazed. She chuckles. "You know how weird this is? I've only seen things like this in comic books."

"Mm-hm."

She grins up at him after he deactivates it. "You know, I can think of two kids, both around your age, who'd freak out if they find out that my nephew's bionic," she says.

"You can't tell anyone, Aunt Janice."

"No, I won't. I won't," Janice says with a smile. "I'm just saying that if they did know, they'll probably think it's the coolest thing in the world. At least Aries would."

"Aries?"

"You'll meet him and other people soon enough, sweetheart," Janice says before giving her nephew a kiss on the forehead then walking out of his room.

* * *

 _Boom!_

The loud explosion from next door startles both Janice and Leo, the former much more shaken than the latter. Janice, who's preparing a snack in the kitchen, slowly turns around with her brows slightly knitted and eyes questioning and alert. Meanwhile, Leo, who has been expecting it since they arrived a month and half ago, only looks up pensively from the plethora of worksheets sitting on and around his lap. "You have a fire extinguisher?" he asks his aunt.

Although still lost, Janice opens the door underneath the sink and then unlatches the small red cylinder attached to it.

Leo pushes aside the paper surrounding him, gets up, takes the item from his aunt, and then bundles up before heading over to his step uncle's house.

From the confused look on her face, he guesses his aunt now understands that he wasn't kidding when he told her that she needed to note something about conducting experiments when she drafted the lease for the next door apartment.

* * *

Leo stares thoughtfully at the food Janice has put in the table for dinner. He's been exposed to her cooking for many days and nights now, and out of kindness he's never complained or commented about the food before. Tonight, however – tonight is different. She has just presented a family-size bowl nearly filled to the brim with what's supposed to be Mexican food made from ingredients packed together in a box. Straight off the bat, he knows the consistency isn't right. It looks sticky rather than creamy, and the rice and meat have formed clumps of blobs that make it unappetizing. It also has an unhealthy sheen covering it. If that's not enough, he can tell from the way his aunt chews her lips as she watches for his reaction that even she is not sure about her cooking.

There's also that scent, but it's the one that's coming from what's got to be the house next door. The combination of garlic and other spices is very aromatic. It's what's really making him hungry. Douglas must have cooked again, and after restraining himself from walking over several times to spare his aunt's feelings, he decides to break the streak. "I'm going to Douglas' house," he says as he stands up then walks out.

"Oh, come on," Janice says as she follows him to the door. "I'm doing my best to feed you."

Leo pauses, his eyes narrowing and lips pursing as he thinks carefully of how to phrase his reply. "Aunt Janice, it's not the feeding me part that you can't handle," he says as politely as possible. "It's the cooking you're not so good at."

Janice's mouth pops open as her nephew grabs a jacket. As he opens the door, she says, "Leo! You can't just intrude on someone's—"

Both of them stop as they find Douglas standing outside. He's carrying a wide baking dish covered with foil and is staring back at them uncomfortably. "I…cooked too much," he says. "I was wondering if…you both would like to have some for dinner. It's three cheese mac and cheese and bacon-wrapped chicken."

Leo looks back at his aunt pleadingly.

Janice thinks about it for a moment, and then asks, "Would you…like to join us for dinner?"

Douglas steps in after Leo opens the storm door for him. "Thanks," he tells Janice with a small, awkward smile.

Janice nods as a response. She gives him a smile and then heads back to the dining room to clear it out for the food their guest brought.

As the adults leave, Leo locks the door, thankful that he will be able to eat well tonight—and spend time with the small family he has with him.

* * *

A few more weeks pass, and soon, it's April.

The weather is definitely much better and is very refreshing. It's still chilly, but it's not as bitter and frigid as it was a few months ago. Spring is definitely evident across town. Leaves are gradually sprouting back on the branches, flowers are peeking from the ground, and color is cautiously rising all around. The sun shines more. Everything is gorgeous and potent with hope.

Though he's neck deep in schoolwork, Leo notices this. He sees that attractive side of the east whenever he takes a break and looks out the window or when he and his aunt go for a drive to the store or to the mall. The landscape takes his breath away, and for stretches of time he allows himself to be lost in these wonders of nature. As he does, he thinks of the changes that had taken place in his life thus far, too.

Like how living with his aunt has been. Not surprisingly, he enjoys it. It takes him back to many years ago when he and his mother used to live in his grandparents' house with her. She pays very keen attention to him as if he's her own son, and, unfortunately at times, she caters to his whims. She's not very strict like his mother, but she does set clear boundaries that, though not very many, she reinforces with an iron fist.

He has no problem with those rules and is happy to oblige.

He's been drawing closer and closer to Douglas, too. Despite living not too far away, he doesn't see him as much as he used to because the inventor has been busy looking for a job. It was difficult for him initially ('Apparently, employment is not for ex-evil masterminds,' Douglas once joked), but two weeks ago he was finally hired at a hospital to work for the IT department. His step-uncle seems to have some reservations about it, but all in all he says he likes it. It gives him something to do.

They spend time when he's off. Sometimes he comes over to his house to look at his new inventions, but often Douglas comes over. They watch TV, and at times Douglas would teach him to play different card games. Usually, though, he's there because he's helping his aunt with her computer or a power switch or something technical around the house. It's convenient, and from time to time it results to his aunt slashing off a few bucks from his rent.

School's been hectic. He barely even has time to think about anything else because day in and day out, he's either filling in homework packets or reviewing for the finals. Admittedly, it's overwhelming, but he prefers it over those moments when he's not doing anything and it's silent around the house.

Because when it's quiet and still, that's when it comes to him that along with the peace and calm that comes with having a simple life, there's sadness and longing underlying it. Outside his aunt and his step-uncle, he has no friends. His mother calls him every week, and Chase texts and calls periodically, but besides them no one else makes contact. He hasn't really met anyone else besides a few older neighbors because kids his age are either in school or at the dormitories at the university. The cold weather keeps them in, too.

Really, his close acquaintances consist of his aunt, his step-uncle, Claire, the old couple that lives across the street, and some of his aunt's colleagues. He does truly enjoy their company, but something else is missing.

He doesn't dwell on these thoughts, though, because then he feels like he's sorely lacking, and he begins missing the people he needs to move on from. He can't feel this way. It will just defeat the purpose of his choice to move away.

So, on those times when he's hit with the shock that he's not in a place he knows and is familiar with, he tells himself over and over again that it's okay. _It's alright. It's just starting over,_ he tries to convince himself. _I can do this. I can do this._

* * *

"Ugh, this is impossible! How do they expect me to remember these things?"

Janice looks up from the paper she's reading over by the island. Douglas, too, who's been working on replacing a light fixture and is standing on a stepladder, can't help but glance at the clearly frustrated teenager. "Are you still on that Pre-Calc review sheet?" Janice asks.

Leo nods. He sighs as he stares down at it unhappily. "I don't know what I was thinking taking this class. I don't even need it to graduate," he says.

Janice chuckles as she walks over then pulls up a chair beside him. "You were thinking that you would get bored if you don't take all of these classes," she says as she picks up one of the slimmer packets to look over it. "Alright, let's see. Maybe I can help you with this…"

After a long bout of silence, a smirk begins to pull on Leo's lips. "Stumps you, doesn't it?" he asks his aunt.

"No, no, just – give me time to process it," Janice says, not taking her eyes off the slew of symbols and numbers on the page. However, after another minute of coming up with nothing, she's forced to admit defeat.

Leo laughs. "Like I said, it's hopeless," he says. He heaves another breath. "I don't know. Maybe I can just flunk this one. I have all the math credits I need to graduate anyways."

"Alright. Let me see it," Douglas says as he descends the stepladder. He takes the paper from his step-nephew's hand. With a heavy frown, scans the page thoughtfully. When he senses the teenager staring inquisitively at him, he looks back and explains, "I'm a programmer and an engineer. If there's anything I know, it's math." He takes the empty seat on the other side of Leo then picks up one of the mechanical pencils lying on the table. "Okay, which one of these do you need help with?"

As the two work together, Janice discreetly leaves the table to go back to the work she needs to finish. Before resuming her reading, though, she watches them for a little bit longer with a smile.

Her nephew may not know it, but having him there with her along with the other changes he's brought to her life makes her very happy.

* * *

Leo doesn't realize how mentally exhausted he is until after his final exams are finished and all he does the next day is binge watch shows on the DVR. He's…tired. He's tired. He must be, because all he can do is stare at the television and do some of the chores he hasn't done since the word 'exam' entered the horizon. He sticks to activities that require the least amount of thinking possible. He does so for a while.

When he's required to think again, it's a couple of days before his graduation, and his aunt is asking him what he wants to do after the ceremony. He looks at her blankly, because he did seriously forget about that, and tells her he doesn't know. When pressed for an explanation, all he says is that his brain is still recovering from the burnout. His aunt laughs, thinking that he's joking, and they move on to something else that's not as serious.

That night, he thinks about the graduation.

The next evening, after his aunt comes home from work with food from a restaurant, he tells her he doesn't want to go to the ceremony. He'll just wait until his diploma comes in the mail.

He doesn't tell her why when she asks. He doesn't tell her that he doesn't want to be in a place where he'll be surrounded with more people he doesn't know, doesn't tell her that he just doesn't want to bother with anything for right now. He doesn't tell her it's because he knows there will be families there, with moms and dads and siblings who will be supporting their graduate, and he'll just again be reminded that he doesn't have those anymore. At least not in the way he had imagined he would when that day comes.

He just shrugs. Then he asks her about her day to change the topic.

Despite his aunt's coaxing and his step-uncle's (admittedly poor) attempt at convincing him to go to the graduation ceremony today, he resolves to stay in bed. He enjoys the decision he had made thus far. He's getting ample rest, and it's so warm and lovely underneath the nest created by his comforter and multitude of pillows. It's the best sleep he's had in a long time.

That is, until Janice pries the curtains apart and destroys the cozy darkness in his room.

He groans as the light strikes his eyes before burying his head into the pillows.

"Breakfast is ready, Leo," Janice tells him with a smile.

"Aw'om ama'ab bek'bat."

"I'm sorry?"

Leo lifts his head slightly. "I don't want to have breakfast," he repeats groggily.

Janice crosses her arms. "Well, you're going to have to. If you're going to sit through a ceremony that will last an hour and a half, you need something in your system," she points out.

"I don't want to go," Leo says, his eyes still closed. "I just want to stay home."

At first, there's silence.

Then—"We didn't come all the way here to watch you sleep, Leo. You're going to have to do something."

Leo's eyes open in surprise. He flips over to his side to look at the person who spoke, and there, standing a distance away from him, is Chase, smirking with his arms crossed. Beside him is his mother, grinning as she watches his reaction.

"Good morning," Tasha tells her son.

Leo jumps up from his bed and then runs to hug them both. Embracing them tightly, he says, "You guys came!"

"Ow, Leo – easy," Chase says, wincing but also grinning. "You're crushing me."

"I'm sorry," Leo says with an excited grin as he disengages. "I didn't know you guys were coming."

"We wanted it to be a surprise," Tasha says. "Today's an important day and, there was no way we were going to miss it."

"Did Douglas know?" Leo asks his aunt.

Janice shakes her head.

"Speaking of Douglas, I haven't seen him in a while," Chase says. "I should probably let him know we're here. He lives next door, right? Is he home?"

"He should be home. He took today off for the graduation," Janice says.

"Alright. I'm gonna go wake him up."

"Wait!" Leo says as his brother turns towards the door. "Give me a few minutes. I want to go with you."

"You boys tell him, too, to come over. I cooked breakfast. …I didn't mess anything up this time," Janice says.

Chase nods. As he, his stepmother and step-aunt head out of the room, he says to his brother, "I'll wait in the living room."

"Okay."

Nearly ten minutes later, he and Chase are standing in front of Douglas' house. After a few knocks, their uncle opens the door. If he's surprised at seeing his son, he doesn't show it. He only frowns at them and then says he will come over after they told him of the breakfast invitation their aunt sent.

Breakfast goes by loudly – and Leo enjoys every second of it. He doesn't even give much thought to the food (it's probably okay because his mom would have joked about it if it isn't). He's too preoccupied with catching up with his mother and his brother and with being with his family that nothing else really mattered. He's happy, and that's all he wants to know.

Not long later, he's forced to decide about the ceremony. Upon the urgings of his mother and his brother, he reluctantly attends. The event is just as he expected. The venue is filled with strangers, but it's not as bad because from where he sits the whole time, he can see the people he cares about.

A long, _long_ time passes and finally, he's walking towards his family with his diploma in his hands. With Claire also there to show support for him (even if she did come a little late), his day gets louder and more exciting. They spend what must have been forever taking pictures and checking to see if they're good. There's also a moment where, as his aunt, Douglas, and Claire figure out where they can go to eat, his mother tells him sincerely, with tears in her eyes, how proud she is of him. Chase tells him the same; he tells him he's proud of him, too.

They go to a steak and seafood restaurant twenty minutes away from home. Claire said it's one of the best places around Burlington, and Leo agrees. The food is really good, and it's very classy in there. It's a bit pricey, but his mother assures him that it's alright – she's prepared for it. They eat and talk, and his mother and Chase are entertained by Claire's stories.

Sadness doesn't strike Leo until he sees the time on his phone and realizes it's late in the afternoon. He had enjoyed that day so much that he forgot that it will eventually end. His mother and Chase will leave, and after that he'll be alone again. "What time's your flight back to California?" he asks his brother clandestinely as his mother and aunt laugh at another one of Claire's work stories.

Hearing the anxiety in his little brother's voice, Chase smiles encouragingly. "We're not leaving until Sunday morning," he says. He takes a sip of his iced tea before adding quietly, "And, uh, we didn't travel by plane. It's more like…by ability."

Leo frowns at first. His eyes widen when he understands. "You got someone to take you here?" he asks in a whisper.

Chase nods. "During class the students asked what I was going to do this weekend, and I told them we were going to visit you. Sebastian came up to me yesterday and volunteered to transport us here, so, he said, we can spend more time with you. He's coming to get us a few days from now."

"Oh."

"Chase?" their mother says with a knowing smile. "You're not telling your brother something you're not supposed to be telling him, right?"

Chase is lost for a moment, but he shakes his head with a grin when he remembers.

"Wait. What is it that I'm not supposed to know?" Leo asks his mother.

The adults, save for Claire, exchange glances. Finally, Janice caves in. "There are gifts waiting for you at home," she admits.

"Gifts? Really?"

She nods, and suddenly the dread of having to watch his mother and brother leave is forgotten.

Claire leaves before they finish dinner, woeful that she wouldn't get to stay due to her having to take her niece to the mall. On her way out, she hands Leo an envelope and tells him she hopes it's enough. Leo thanks her and gives her a hug. Surprisingly, his aunt gets up to head out with her best friend, too. She tells him there's something she needs to pick up. He suspects that it's her gift for him, but he doesn't say anything. Instead, he tells her okay and that he will see her later.

Having just his mom, Chase, and Douglas with him there is nice. It's just like old times, or at least a semblance of it. It's somewhat awkward because there are topics that they choose not to go over, even if they are the most important ones, but once they had learned how to redirect the conversation, it becomes easier.

Another forty minutes later, the four of them are sitting in the living room, waiting for Janice so Leo can start opening his gifts. Saying that he doesn't have many is an understatement. If Leo's to be exact, at that moment, he only has two gifts: one from Claire, and one from Chase. From the smirk on Douglas' face, it looks like he has something up his sleeves, but Leo waits, because his uncle is not the type of person who will break his 'no gifts' streak even for a big occasion like this.

Once his aunt arrives, he begins opening his presents. As he suspected, along with a card, Claire has given him money. The amount, though, surprises him: she gave him seventy-five dollars. He hasn't seen this much money since last summer when his grandparents gave him shopping money for new clothes he can wear to school.

"Why do I have a feeling this is gonna be filled with books," he says jokingly towards Chase as he moves on to the next one. He rips the wrap off the sizeable box, and though the logo of the well-known shoe brand doesn't faze him, its contents come as a shock. He takes the pair of shoes out of the box then says, amazed and incredulous, "Where did you get this? And how did you know these are the ones I want? It's not supposed to come out until summer!"

"I have connections," Chase declares with a smile, pleased. When the adults shoot inquisitive looks towards him, he sighs. "Alright, fine. I found someone online who sells these things in advance. I contacted him, and after some negotiations he sold it to me."

"These are awesome, Chase. Thanks," Leo says as he marvels at it.

"You haven't seen the other two yet," Chase prompts, nodding down to the box.

"Other two?" Leo picks up the box to check. He laughs when he sees what was underneath the shoes. "No way! You got me this game, too?"

"Yeah. I figured, if we're gonna play it, you should have the game."

"Oh. And of course, a book," Leo says with a chuckle when he takes the hardbound from the bottom of the box. He softly punches his brother on the shoulder and then tells him sincerely, "Thank you, Chase. These are all great. It's the best."

"I beg to differ." Douglas types in something on his laptop then looks up with a smirk after hitting Enter. "There. My graduation gift to you. A fourth ability. Congratulations."

"Whoa, a new ability?" Leo says as he glances at his hand. "What is it?"

Douglas shrugs as he leans back. "Try it out," he says mysteriously.

"No, no. Please. Not inside the house," Janice says. "Your aunt has no money to replace anything that could be damaged. Maybe try it outside."

Leo looks at his family pensively. He hitches his shoulders. "I guess we can. It's already dark out anyways. No one will see," he says as he gets up, his family following suit.

"Find something to use for target," Douglas says as they head out to the backyard.

"Got one," Chase says as he picks up an empty can from the neat row standing beside the recycling bin. He heads farther down the yard. "This is good, right?"

"Should be. I wouldn't stand anywhere near it, though." As Chase jogs back to them after setting the can a considerable distance, he tells Leo, "Alright. Just aim and fire."

"This is not gonna backfire, right?"

"It shouldn't. I hope not."

Though not very assured with that, Leo holds out his right hand.

"You might want to cover your ears," Douglas tells Tasha, Janice, and Chase. "It's gonna be pretty loud."

After they heed his warning, Leo takes a shot at the aluminum can. A bolt of electricity, potent like white lightning, crackles then charges out of his palm. The sound is disconcerting, and the explosion that results from the electricity hitting the can only adds to it.

"I'm pretty sure someone's gonna call the police because of that," Janice comments as she takes her hands off her ears.

"Lightning fingers?!" Leo excitedly asks Douglas.

"Electrokinesis," Douglas corrects him, "but yeah, sure. Lightning fingers work, too."

"Sweet. Potentially dangerous and very lethal, but sweet," Chase says as he and Leo examine the charred chunk of metal standing at the backyard.

Douglas turns his head towards his sister-in-law then challenges quietly with a smirk, "Top that."

Tasha rolls her eyes, shaking her head as she smiles. "Sweetheart, do you want to see what I got you?" she asks her son. She nods back to the house and then, with her sister, leads her brother-in-law and sons to the front door. Before they walk outside, she tells Leo, "Now, I want you to remember that with this comes a great responsibility, okay? You have to be very, very careful. I got you this because I trust you."

"You didn't get me a Spider-Man costume, did you?" Leo asks, eyes narrowed.

Tasha chuckles. "No," she says. "Alright. Are you ready?"

After stepping outside and seeing his mother's gift to him, Leo gasps. Even Chase, who has known about this, looks at it with approval. Leo gapes at it for a while, and then—"You got me a _car_?!"

"Like I said, I want you to be very careful with this, alright?" Tasha says. "Not only is this not an inexpensive car, but I don't want to get a call in the middle of the night with your aunt telling me you've gotten into an accident because you've made a bad choice. If I so much hear a bad report, your aunt's gonna confiscate it. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good." Tasha tosses the keys to him, which he catches with no problem. "Now go take it for a test drive." As the boys hurry excitedly towards the car, she tells her half-confused, half-shocked brother-in-law with a pleased smile, "Here's a lesson in teenaged children, Dougie: when it comes to giving gifts, _car_ trumps everything – even superpowers."

Janice chuckles at this then goes back inside, her sister following behind her. Douglas, meanwhile, watches as his step-nephew slowly pulls off, unable to believe what happened.

Meanwhile, Leo drives around the neighborhood, talking animatedly to Chase about the car and, later, about other things. They travel for an hour around the city and at one point even manages to get lost, which doesn't become a big problem since Chase is able to lead them back to where they should be. Soon, they're back at the house, pulling up to the driveway. They sit in comfortable silence for a while, both obviously worn out but content with the day's events.

"I'll be honest, so far I'm enjoying this weekend. Teaching is great and all, but I didn't realize how tiring it is until I get a chance to take a break," Chase says.

"I know. That's a lot of kids to handle," Leo says. Chase responds with a grin and a nod. As a thought occurs to Leo, his smile gradually evaporates. "They're still mad at me, aren't they? That's why they didn't come," he asks.

Chase looks at his brother and there in his face he finds the sadness that he heard from his words. "They just need time," he says. "They're… _hurt_ that you chose to leave. They're still processing everything."

Leo doesn't say anything. Instead, he bears in silence the weight that presses down on him as his heart sinks lower.

Chase nudges him. "Hey. Lighten up. I didn't come here to see you be sad," he tells his brother with a grin. "You were just given money, new stuff, a new ability… You got this nice new car."

"It's used."

"Okay, well, new old car," Chase corrects. "Point is, it's not a night to be sad. At least not until later after you watch me beat you at _Velocity X_."

Leo laughs. "Oh, you wish," he says, getting out of the car. "Not tonight, Brainiac. Definitely not on my turf."

Chase shrugs slowly after shutting the door behind him. "I don't know. I've had lots of practice, and from what I've heard you haven't played in a while," he says as they jog up the steps to the house.

"Who did you hear that from? Douglas?"

"Aunt Janice."

Leo frowns as he closes the front door behind them. He doesn't have any response to that.

While their mother and aunt catch up upstairs, downstairs in the living room both of the boys camp out and pull an overnight video game match. Hours pass by, and evening turns to midnight which turns to early morning. The progression of time is irrelevant to them, though. It's been months since they last saw each other and spent time together.

To them, sleep is nothing but trivial.

* * *

The weekend rolls by faster than they want to, and soon Tasha and Chase are saying their goodbyes. They promise to keep in touch. Chase hugs his brother and tells him that he will log on as frequently as he can so they can finish the game they were playing. Before heading out the front door, Tasha reminds her son again to be careful with the car. She then hugs her son tightly once Sebastian arrives, and she whispers to his ear that everything will be alright.

After a short conversation with Sebastian, who looks genuinely happy to see Leo again, Leo, Janice, and Douglas bid Tasha and Chase farewell. The two wave goodbye, and in a quick burst of dark mist, they're gone.

Afterwards, Leo goes back upstairs to his room, which he barely saw the past few days because he'd been out a lot with his mother and brother. He looks around to take in everything, and he's reminded how empty and quiet it is in there.

He decides then that he was right. He shouldn't have allowed himself to enjoy that visit, because now he's left with memories of what had been and the cold reality of what will never be.

* * *

By the beginning of summer, Leo has something new to be occupied with: a job. He likes it. He came across the NOW HIRING sign when he visited the coffee shop with Douglas a few weeks before spring ended. He thought the place is nice and, from the description, the job is something he could qualify for. The pay didn't seem bad, either. Actually, he's been thinking that if he stays in that job long enough and really manages his earnings well, he can use whatever he has saved for college next year.

The owners of the coffee shop, an older couple whose alma mater is the university nearby, are very kind and amicable. They told him during the interview that they needed new employees because the other two graduated and moved to DC. He was worried at first that they wouldn't hire him because he's not a college student like most of their staff, but to his surprise they took him aboard.

A guy with a mustache and a ponytail named Devin trained him, teaching him everything he needed to know in being a barista. The guy's friendly and very patient, which is good because Leo had a tough time in the beginning. Devin seemed to find it very amusing, though, that the 'newbie' actually doesn't like coffee. He got a kick out of that.

Leo didn't mind, though. He just concentrated on what he needed to understand—and just as well. As it turns out, accidentally putting an extra pump of syrup or extra shot of espresso in someone's drink can cause quite a stir—no pun intended.

Two weeks into the job, it dawns on him that he's exhausted. He must be, because he's actually enjoying being home today. There's absolutely nothing to do, and he loves it. He's just sitting at his desk, shuffling through the thin stack of envelopes that are addressed to him. It's great. He's away from demanding, overly stressed clientele and away from the espresso machines and the smoothie blenders. Life's perfect right now as far as he's concerned.

After skimming through a letter that an insurance company sent him, Leo finds a shorter, more compact envelope in the pile. His name and address are written in neat, slightly cursive handwriting. At the top left is the sender's address. The person's name is not there.

He opens the mail with a frown.

As he suspected, it's a small card. There's a cartoon picture of a violin in front, right in the middle, along with the bow, and the picture is bordered by doodles of yellow leaves which contrasts nicely against the powder blue color of the background. It's cute. However, it only leads him to wonder more who sent it to him.

 _You smiled – and my heart did the impossible._

 _Your secret admirer—_

Below it are four sharp signs arranged methodically.

Leo gazes at it thoughtfully. The message is very sweet, and the thought that someone likes his enough to take the time to write down their feelings for him makes him feel fuzzy but, a secret admirer? Even when he was with Janelle, he's never gotten anything like this. She usually just sent text messages, and even those weren't very warm and genuine. It's usually him who waxes poetic to keep winning her over.

This? This is different.

He ponders over different possibilities (because there's absolutely no way he would have a secret admirer and it not be a joke) when he finally understands. Out of boredom, he started a prank war between him and his aunt last month. She has yet to respond to his most recent one, and it seems like this letter is it.

He heads downstairs and out to the backyard with the card. Currently, both his aunt and his uncle are sitting on the lawn chairs, the former with a book opened on her lap and the latter with his computer. His aunt is also chuckling at something his uncle probably said. "Really, Aunt Janice? A secret admirer? That's the best you got?" Leo asks with a smirk.

"What are you talking about?" his aunt asks him.

Leo holds up the envelope. "This. You sent me a card with the cute little message to get back at me," he says. "No disrespect or anything, but this attempt is weak."

Janice's brows furrow further as she laughs. "Let me see," she says, gesturing for the envelope.

As she examines it, Douglas says, "You guys are still at that prank war, I see."

"Yeah," Leo says. "I'm winning, though."

"Sweetheart, this is not from me," Janice says with a smile as she looks at the message.

"Really. I'm not buying it."

"Believe me or not, it's the truth." Janice chuckles before adding, "Leo, I love you with all my heart, I do. But I want to _crush_ you at this prank war, and this…This is not my style. You come from an intelligent family. You're smart. If I'm going to do something to get back at you, it's gonna be something you're not expecting."

Leo narrows his eyes. "Are you pulling some reverse psychology on me right now?"

Janice laughs. "No," she says. "That would make me a terrible person."

"So you had Douglas do it then."

"Hey, don't get me into this," Douglas says with a frown, deeply offended. "I just came over for a consult."

"Well, if neither of you sent this, then who did?" Leo asks.

"It's in here," Janice says as she checks the card. "Let's see, what is that? Four sharps. A Major?"

Douglas looks at it as Janice shows it to him. "Yeah. A Major," he confirms.

"So my secret admirer's name is A Major."

"Or just A," Douglas says.

"A."

"Yeah."

"So I'm getting dragged into a teenage mystery story, but with a musical twist."

Janice laughs. Douglas, on the other hand, just rolls his eyes. "You know, I think the real issue here is that you don't want to accept the fact that someone likes you enough to share their feelings with you," Janice says as she hands back the envelope to him. "You should take this as a compliment. You've got an admirer who's smart and creative. If anything, this is exciting."

Leo mulls over it. He's not inclined to accept this easily but, what if his aunt is right? What if this isn't a joke? What if somebody out there does like him? He's never had a secret admirer before. What's he supposed to do with the likelihood that he now has one?

He decides that he will keep the card on his desk for the meantime to feed his curiosity – as well as keep his skepticism alive.

* * *

 _to be continued._


	2. ii

_Oh, wow. It really wasn't in the plans for the story to go into a one month break. I was really just waiting for chapter three to be finished/mostly finished, and it took a long time. My apologies, you guys._

 _Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and is following! Since I'm not quite sure who has gotten a response and who hasn't (the writer at your service has become very scatterbrained lately, unfortunately), here be the replies:_

 ** _EmeraldTulip -_** _Yes it is! It's great to hear you're enjoying this. That part with Tasha and Chase coming to visit was a favorite part. And yes, Sebastian is not evil in this story at all. I really do believe that he's really a good person who would have stayed good if he had seen the evil things Krane is willing to do. / As far as the secret admirer, you got it. ;)_

 ** _AlienGhostWizard14 -_** _Hey! Yessir, you got it! And thanks!_

 ** _Visatoarea10_** _\- Thanks! You'll find out who soon... ;)_

 ** _Tomomoto Z -_** _This new life in a new city was really fun to craft, honestly. As far as Leo's opinion on it, this chapter will really get to the bottom of that. / As far as Adam, Bree, and Donald, I can't say just yet, BUT - the secret admirer will show up very soon._

 ** _humannuscriptor_** _\- One of them is right! But you're right about that note in the end, though: a lot has changed. For the good or the bad, it's up to you guys._

 _Again, thank you all for the reviews!_

 _Just a brief warning: this chapter is dark. Themes of anger and deep depression will be explored, and if these are trigger factors for you, please skip this one. The third chapter should be posted soon enough._

 _Oh, and: longest. Chapter. Ever._

 _Other than that, please enjoy. Disclaimer's on my profile page if anyone needs to see one._

* * *

 _ii._

Leo envies them. Not all the time, but sometimes. He envies the college students that come there to the coffee shop with their new friends, bonding over common interests and their future classes. He envies the high school students that wander in quite frequently, most of the time in small groups of three or four, laughing with each other about some story that had been told. He envies parents and children who stop in for warm drinks and baked goods. He even envies the university professors that sit quietly in the corner booths by themselves, content and unbothered by their aloneness.

They're all so satisfied, and their attitudes are as bright as the summer sun shining outside.

He wishes he could be like them. He wants to be happy, too, but every day it's getting harder and harder because it's clear to him that he's alone. Because he finally sees that he's not where he should be. Because he understands now that what happened was not his fault, and yet he's the one who lost everything. He tries constantly to be more positive, but he doesn't succeed often.

Many customers come in during the summer months, and it makes the coffee shop very lively. Almost daily, the place teems with both new and regular customers. People talk, whisper, smile. They laugh, as if the warm, extensive daylight outside will never cease to exist.

He envies them. He envies them a lot.

* * *

His aunt seems to have noticed his loneliness and the difficulty he's having with getting situated to his new environment, so she helps him. She does it by setting up a dinner, inviting over a few families that she knows well so that he can meet them. She also extends the opportunity of meeting more people to Douglas – on the condition that he helps her with the food.

It's intended to be a joke, but he seems to have taken it seriously because the counter is mostly filled with dishes that he had cooked.

Having that many people in their house that Saturday evening is weird to Leo. It's so warm and noisy with life in there all of a sudden. He thought he would have liked it. It's not so placid and empty in there for once. However, he finds it somewhat suffocating to be surrounded with so many strangers. It occurred to him that he's the one who needs to initiate some kind of conversation with their guests if he's to get anywhere, but he lacks the motivation to do it.

He's giving up too early, he knows, but he doesn't want to expect too much anymore. He's gotten burned so many times with the friendships he's forged, and a huge part of him knows that whatever bond he creates even now is only doomed to failure. The chances of him establishing a lasting friendship with anyone in that room are very, very minute.

So, he does what he does best: blend in with the crowd so well that it's as if he isn't there.

"Leo!"

 _Well, so much for that,_ Leo sighs as his attempt to escape to the backyard is thwarted. He turns around with a forced smile on his face and finds his aunt coming towards him with a boy and a girl who look to be around his age in her tow.

"Hey, I want to introduce you to these guys," Janice says with a hopeful grin. She frowns. "Have you met them?"

Leo shakes his head. He's only seen them but not yet talked to them. "No, sorry. I haven't."

"Oh, well, this is Aries, and this is Samantha."

"Hi," Leo says to them.

One thing about Aries that stands out the most to him is his height. Aries is tall – definitely taller than Adam. From what he's observed earlier, he seems to be as happy and excitable as him. He's very enthusiastic. He appears very friendly, if the smile on his face is anything to go by.

Sam appears reserved. There's a small smile on her face, but her arms are crossed in front of her. It doesn't look like it's out of suspicion or contempt for him. It looks like she's just…not sure about him. It's like she's willing to get to know him, but she wants to wait. _Cautious, just like Bree,_ he thinks.

He quickly dismisses those thoughts.

"Alright, I'll leave you guys to talk. I need to get some things from outside. Excuse me, sweetheart," Janice says, heading out through the sliding doors.

"How's it going, man?" Aries says as soon as Janice is away, sticking out a hand. As Leo shakes it, he says, "I'm Aries Rodriguez. I came with that family right there. But, you know that. We said hi to you when we came in."

"Right. You did," Leo says. He turns to the girl to avoid an uncomfortable lull in the conversation. "And, Samantha, right? I think I talked to your grandmothers. They're both nice."

"Yeah. They are," she says with a wider smile. Her arms uncrossed. "Call me Sam. The only ones who call me Samantha are my teachers and my classmates. Janice usually calls me Sam, too, but I guess I'm Samantha today."

Leo chuckles at the joke.

"So, do you like Vermont so far?" Sam asks.

"It's a beautiful state," Leo replies diplomatically.

"But you don't like it," Sam concludes adeptly. "It's okay if you don't. This place is one of those places that need to grow on you. It took me a while, too, to get used to it when I came here a long time ago."

Leo smiles, sincerely appreciating her empathy. Encouraged, he nods at Aries' Batman shirt. "That's cool. You like superheroes, too, I see," he says.

Aries looks down on his shirt. "Oh, yeah," he says. "Always been a comic book nerd since I was younger. Batman's my favorite. What about you? You like any of the Justice League characters?"

"Please don't say Superman," Sam says. "He will start this Batman vs. Superman discussion with you, and trust me – it gets nowhere."

Leo laughs. "Does he?"

Aries clicks his tongue and looks at her unhappily. "Why'd you gotta be like this to me, Sam? Like, every time. You keep bringing it up."

"I only brought it up just now."

"You guys have been friends for a long time?" Leo asks with a grin.

"Yeah, pretty much," Sam says. "Aries has always been like a big brother to me. Our families are close."

"Oh, hey, speaking of family," Aries grins, "isn't the bionic trio your siblings? That's so cool! What's that like?"

The grin on Leo's face withers into a smile as he looks away. Because he does, he misses the expression of fear that crosses Aries' features after seeing Janice shake her head fervently on the other side of the glass door, reminding him that it's a topic she's told them not to bring up.

To help fix the situation, Sam tells Aries casually, "What do you mean what is that like? It's family. Family drives you crazy."

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess you're right," Aries says, giving Sam an apologetic but grateful glance.

It takes Leo a beat before he's able to muster the courage to answer. "It was nice, too, actually," he says. "Fun. It's like jumping into a comic book and living that kind of life every day. But, you know, minus the speech bubbles."

Aries chuckles. Meanwhile, Sam grins. "You guys wanna head out back? I feel like there are too many people here," she says.

"Do we have to? Mosquitoes are out," Aries says.

"Fine, then let's go out front then," Sam says.

"Ooh. You mind if I get another plate first? I'm hungry again," Aries says.

"I don't mind," Sam shrugs. She asks Leo, "Do you want to get something, too?"

Leo shakes his head. "No, I'm good."

"You sure? Halmeoni Park makes the best Heath Bar cake ever," Aries says.

"Maybe later."

Aries doesn't insist anymore after that.

He learns many things about Aries and Sam as they sit out in the front porch that night. He finds out that Aries is a student at the university, and that he's twenty-one. He's majoring in Music Education because his grandfather was a musician, and he wants to follow in his footsteps. Maybe not a musician like him, he says, but someone who's knowledgeable enough to be able to teach music to children who are interested but may not have the money for expensive schools. That was how his grandfather came to love music, through the kindness of willing teachers.

Sam adds that besides an aspiring musician, Aries is also very skilled in computers. Most of the time, he's even better at it than with music. Aries agrees, but he says it's a back-up talent. In case the classes get too difficult (and they're definitely starting to become a pain in the neck, he says), he can just switch over to computer programming.

Leo also learns a little more about Aries' family. His father is Puerto Rican, and his mother is Brazilian, but both had been born in the States. His eight year-old little sister, Jessica, is American. Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez decided to adopt her after taking her in as a foster child two and a half years ago. Some people try to give her a hard time sometimes because of the family she's with, but the little red-haired girl just ignores them. She has a father, a mother, and a big brother who love her, and that's all she cares about.

Sam, on the other hand, only has her grandmothers, but she's happy with them. Halmeoni Park is her dad's mom, and Grandma Russell is her mom's mom. The two women have been friends since they were teenagers, and though they weren't intending for it to happen, their children fell in love and got married. Sam says that after both of her grandfathers died, his grandmothers decided to just live in one house so they'd have each other as company. After Sam's parents died, they took her in.

Leo doesn't press for any information regarding her parents because he knows that knowledge is intimate. Instead, he just asks why her Grandma Park told him to call her halmeoni.

Aries and Sam chuckle at that before Sam explains to him that halmeoni means grandma in Korean. By telling him to call her that, she's inviting him to their family while also teaching him a little bit about her culture.

Leo decides that he likes that. He thinks it's sweet.

They talk more as the night comes along, and as they do Leo sees more and more how alike to Adam and Bree Aries and Sam are. He tries his best not to make that comparison, but he keeps seeing traits in them that he had seen from his older siblings. He doesn't realize how much that sets back the small progress he was making until the damage is imminent. He's drifted far away from getting to know Aries and Sam and has gotten closer to the dangerous tide of being swallowed up by the memories he had of his older brother and sister.

By the end of the dinner, after saying goodbye to their guests and to Aries and Sam, he feels emptier.

* * *

Leo scans the basement with approval. He had only been here once, when he helped Douglas move in a few things some months ago, but he can tell his step-uncle made some changes in there. For one, it had filled up a little bit more. There's now a complex computer system sitting in a sectioned off part of the room in addition to the couch and the TV he already has there. There's also a small storage of food in a separate corner, a sizeable first aid kit sitting on top of it.

The carpet, which had been left filthy by the previous tenant, is now clean, too.

"The man cave looks better," Leo comments as Douglas riffles through a plastic storage bin for something.

"Yeah," Douglas mutters absently. When he finds what he's looking for, he pulls it out then turns around. "Alright. Since we can't find a good training spot today, we'll just have to do it here."

"Here? Didn't Aunt Janice say you can't do any more experiments?"

"I'm not doing an experiment. We're training. There's a difference," Douglas says. "Plus, if we head out, someone may see you. Last thing we want is for these people to find out you've got abilities, too. That'll create all kinds of problems for both of us, and we don't need that right now."

"Oh. True."

"How long has it been since you used any of your abilities?"

Leo thinks about it. "Last time was when I graduated. That night."

"That means energy's been lying dormant in your arm, too. That's why you need this training."

As Douglas straps a cylindrical gauntlet on his arm, Leo asks, "What is this?"

"It regulates the amount of energy that comes out. It's been months, and we don't want you blowing a hole on the wall because a highly concentrated laser sphere blasted out."

"Oh. Alright."

Douglas sets up the targets on the table he had prepared earlier as he speaks. "We'll start with electrokinesis since it's the newest. You haven't gotten a chance to learn how to moderate it and direct it."

"Yeah, okay," Leo says, preparing for the target practice.

"Regulation is also important." Hearing the seriousness in his step-uncle's voice, he looks at him. "I didn't just give this ability to you just to give you something. Out of all the abilities, this is one of those that will benefit you a lot when you learn how to fully control it."

"What do you mean?"

"Electrokinesis is multi-faceted. Given, almost all abilities are multi-faceted, but this one's a bit different. Not only can you direct this outside, you can also direct it inside." As he sees a look of confusion on his nephew's features, he explains, "Think about it. Nearly everything in our bodies are regulated and controlled by chemical signals and electricity. If you learn how to direct just the right amount of electricity within yourself, it'll allow you to do other things. Basically, it's an ability that enables other abilities."

"Even if I'm not fully bionic?"

"Even if you're not fully bionic," Douglas confirms.

"What abilities are we talking about?"

"Super speed, for one, because speed and electricity have a lot to do with each other," Douglas says. "There's also one that is only possible for someone who's not fully bionic but has access to this ability—biological manipulation."

"Shapeshifting?" Leo asks in amazement.

Douglas nods. As he sees the look of excitement on his face, he cautions, "Look, I'm telling you these things, _not_ so you can attempt to try it out in your free time, but so you have something to look forward to. These byproducts of your new ability will take _years_ to master – and I mean that. Years. If you try to do it on your own and without my help, you can end up killing yourself. Got it?"

"Got it," Leo says, somewhat alarmed by his step-uncle's sternness. "How come we didn't know these things?" he asks a moment later.

"What things?"

"That some abilities can be…reused and remade into other abilities. I was only in the academy for a bit, but none of them taught me this."

Douglas smirks. "Of course they wouldn't be able to. None of them know about it," he says. He sighs. "I know a lot of things about bionics that no one else knows."

Leo ponders over that. "If that's the case, why weren't you a mentor? Or at least an advisor, like Big D?"

"They didn't ask me to be one."

Leo frowns. Then, he chuckles. "I guess the academy missed out on that opportunity," he says.

"But you haven't," Douglas points out.

"Right. I haven't," Leo says with a grin.

Douglas takes a deep breath before stepping away to a safer spot. "Okay. This is the low-tech version of our usual training, but you know what to do," he says. "The gauntlet's going to help you control the pent up energy, if there's any."

"Alright."

Douglas nods. "Ready when you are."

Leo steps a distance away from the targets. Then, after taking a few calming breaths, he begins.

* * *

Despite his refusal to spend more time with the new kids he met a few weeks back, his aunt manages to persuade him into going out with them that Saturday morning. Mr. Rodriguez is supposed to take his trainees to a place up in the mountains for practice, and Aries and Sam usually come along. Mr. Rodriguez had kindly asked his aunt if he'd be interested in coming just to see the class and spend more time with his son and Sam, and his aunt had thought it was a good idea.

Leo really didn't want to go, but he was sure that if he didn't accept this invitation, his aunt would make another arrangement somewhere down the line for him to hang out with others, so he thought he might as well.

The hike up to the range is quite long. It's arduous, and it definitely takes some time. It's not long until he's fallen behind the group. He realizes then how out of shape he is.

It's not too bad, though. The forestry around them is very beautiful. The landscape is green and rich with life that it makes the trek more pleasant. Plus, it's not like he's determined to keep up with the group. Mr. Rodriguez' trainees are all college students, which is not a bad thing, but it soon became evident to him that he's not as welcome as Mr. Rodriguez thought he would be. They kept glancing at him suspiciously. Leo excused that it was probably because they're just not used to him and because he's new, but he eventually got weary of it.

Aries and Sam have decided to walk with him, and that makes the situation better. They talk until soon, they're at the range.

The three of them sit back on the grass as Mr. Rodriguez and his trainees prepare for the practice. They watch in silence as the small group ahead readies their equipment, which consists of a nice range of bows and arrows. They also listen as Aries' father coaches his students. "Okay, Ronnie, you're up first," Mr. Rodriguez tells the brunet as he points to a spot.

"So, this is the work that your dad does. He's a coach," Leo says to Aries.

Aries nods. "Pretty much," he says.

"You know, Mr. Rodriguez trained for the Olympics in archery years ago," Sam says.

Leo's brows hitch. "Really."

"Yeah. He competed in the 80's."

"Wow. That's cool. Did he win?"

"Nah," Aries says. "He should've, though. I've seen the videos. His team was good, but I guess the team from the winning country was just better."

"Oh."

"But he's still good," Sam says. "It's nice to have him as a coach. He's really great at teaching you how to better your aim. He's nice, too."

"Yeah. To us," Aries says with a grin.

"What, he's strict with his other students?"

"Oh, yeah." Aries tilts his head thoughtfully. "I guess he's only like that because he doesn't want them to think they can slack off. The others train to win competitions. Sam and I are just here to learn."

"How long have you guys been in the class?"

"I've been coming since the class started," Aries says.

Sam chuckles. "Yeah, but you only started taking it seriously after Hunger Games came out."

Aries only darts her a withering stare.

Leo grins. "What about you, Sam? How long have you been in the class?"

Sam shrugs. "Not very long," she says.

"Not very long?" Aries repeats with a smirk.

"Sam." Mr. Rodriguez nods towards the target ahead when they look up. "Ronnie says there's something wrong with the bows. He says it's heavier than the last time. You mind testing it out for him?"

Sam gets up and then dusts herself off.

"When Sam said 'not very long,' she just meant she hadn't been training since she was born," Aries tells Leo as Sam takes the bow from the obviously embarrassed trainee.

Leo frowns. "How long had she been training?"

Sam picks up an arrow then aims. A sharp _thwip_ goes off once she releases the bowstring.

The arrow strikes the target clear on the center.

Leo looks at Sam in shock while she tells Mr. Rodriguez that the bow feels fine to her.

"Since her family moved here ten years ago," Aries says. "So, pretty much since she was six."

"What was _that_?" Leo exclaims as Sam walks back towards them.

"What was what?"

"That! That was not…That's not a novice shot."

Sam glances back at the target board then shrugs. "Hm, I guess not."

"Do you compete, too? For your school?" Leo asks.

"No, the high school I go to doesn't have archery as a sport," Sam says. "And even if it does, I'm not gonna play."

"Why not? You're good."

"I don't know. I guess I just don't want to spend any more time in school than I should."

Leo frowns. "You don't like your school?" he asks.

"I like the teachers. I don't like the students, especially the girls. They're so mean."

Leo nods empathetically. "They pick on you, huh."

Sam grins. "If they are, I don't know it. I hear they cyber-bully. How can they cyber-bully someone who doesn't have any social media page, right?" she says.

Leo smiles. "Right. That's smart."

"Sam, Aries." Mr. Rodriguez waves them over. "Can you please help Ronnie and Mischa?" he asks Sam as she and Aries come.

"Sure thing," Sam says with a smile before leading the pair to the farthest target.

"Aries, you take turns with Barrett and Pat."

"Alrighty."

"Leo." Mr. Rodriguez smiles at him. "Grab a bow and a few arrows. Let's go to the one down there."

Though confused, Leo does what he is told. From the array, he grabs the silver bow since it seems to be the lightest, and he picks up a handful of arrows. He follows as the trainer leisurely walks down to the target a distance away from the range.

He stops when they reach what seems to be their destination. "Alright. This seems good," Mr. Rodriguez says. He nods at the canvass target in front of the giant pine tree. "It's all yours."

Leo stares at him, waiting to see what he will do.

"Go on," Mr. Rodriguez prompts him politely.

"Oh. You want me to do it?"

Mr. Rodriguez nods.

Leo chuckles. "Oh, no. No, I – I have horrible aim, Mr. Rodriguez," he says. "It's just going to be very disappointing."

"Well, how will we know if you don't try?"

"Believe me, sir. I know already. I'm very awkward with anything sports related."

Mr. Rodriguez regards him with a smile of understanding. "Are you worried about embarrassing yourself, or are you worried that you'd miss?" he asks.

Leo smiles. "I just know it's not going to be good."

Mr. Rodriguez nods. "Okay. Show me."

As Mr. Rodriguez takes a few steps back, Leo reluctantly places down the extra arrows in his right hand. After picking one to use, he puts it into position and then raises the bow. He slowly pulls back the bowstring then, he releases it.

Not even close.

"That was terrible," Leo comments as he lowers the bow.

"Well, there's definitely room for improvement, but that's the case for everyone," Mr. Rodriguez says kindly. "Try not to grip the bow too hard next time. Just hold onto it. Also, bend your left arm just a bit more, and raise your right elbow higher. That way, it's easier and not uncomfortable."

"Alright," Leo says as he tries it.

"Just focus on that board right there," Mr. Rodriguez instructs, pointing at it. "You didn't start off as bad as you think. You got good focus. We just need to fine tune a few technical things. After we do, you'll have better control."

Control. Leo thinks about that word. It reminds him of the gauntlet Douglas had strapped onto his arm the last time they trained. It reminds him of the chip Krane had put on him in case he decided to turn against him. It reminds him of the isolation room his stepfather had put him in a few months ago. His heart sinks when he remembers the faces of the students, the face of his older brother, when his ability nearly fatally harmed them all.

It's clear to him now. All the leashes that had bound him have been of his own doing. Each of them had been strapped around him because of his destructive nature. He has blamed everyone all this time and neglected to acknowledge the real reason of his misery.

It's his fault. Everything that's gone wrong with his life is his fault.

Leo gradually lowers the bow. "I don't have a good track record with control, Mr. Rodriguez," he says.

"With practice, it'll get better."

Leo shakes his head weakly. It's been months since the incident. He knows it won't improve.

He doesn't see the shadow of concern that passes by Mr. Rodriguez' features. Unknown to him, the trainer can read the feelings of guilt he's harboring. Instead of directly addressing it, Mr. Rodriguez only asks, "If I pull on the bowstring too weakly, what will happen?"

Leo reluctantly thinks about it. "The arrow's never gonna get to the target."

"Right. And if I pull on it too much, what will happen?"

"The string will snap."

"Exactly. You can even break the bow if you put too much force. See, that's why it's important to know how much is too much." Mr. Rodriguez smiles. "I've been training archers for at least twelve years. I've seen many kids break down, and, I'll be honest, most of the time I had something to do with it. I push them to their limits, and some of them…can't adapt to that. But there had been times, there had been a few trainees, who broke down because they put too much pressure on themselves. They use their own flaws to beat themselves to the ground. I tried to help them by pointing out what they're doing right, but they've convinced themselves that they're no good, and you know what? They ended up quitting. It's sad, because some of those kids could've won the Olympics if they had kept going."

Mr. Rodriguez picks up one of the arrows lying on the ground. "I guess what I'm saying is that you're right. Even with a lot of practice, there will still be some things that a person can't control. But that also means that there are some things that he or she _can_. That's where the focus should be—where _your_ focus should be. I'll tell you the same thing I told all of my trainees who tried to quit on me after they lost their first game: you can't let what you couldn't have done anything about hold you back." He holds out the arrow with an encouraging smile. "Try again."

Leo looks at him then the arrow then him again. After taking a deep breath, he takes the arrow and puts it into position.

"Remember your grip, your arm and your elbow," Mr. Rodriguez says.

Leo does what he's been taught as he raises the bow. He pulls back the bowstring.

Then, he releases it.

* * *

He doesn't believe her anymore. He doesn't believe her words, doesn't believe her feelings for him. He doesn't believe she exists. She tells him in her most recent letter that she misses him, but that's not true. She's lying.

Actually, no. She's not lying; she _is_ a lie.

He's finally wised up. He looked up the address provided on the envelope, and the house in Seattle where A said she lives is empty. It's currently up on the market and is uninhabited.

It angers him to think that someone decided to play this joke on him. They probably think he's stupid, and maybe they're right, because for a while he fell for it. He allowed himself to be emotionally manipulated into buying a lie because it was such a pretty thought.

He doesn't want to accuse his aunt of this cruel plan, not even Douglas, because this is too hurtful and way too out of line. Honestly, though, there are times where he can't help but suspect them. On the off chance that he's right, he just wishes that they would understand that it's time to stop.

Nonetheless, he decides to do something about it. After putting A's supposed address on the envelope, he grabs a pen and a piece of paper. _If you're real, you'll come visit me,_ he challenges in his letter. _February of next year. You know where to find me. Until then, I won't read any of the letters you'll send me._

He doesn't sign his name. He only seals the letter, puts a stamp on it, and takes it to the Post Office.

He doesn't receive any more letters after that.

* * *

Today's a particularly bad day. All he wants to do is get back in the house, go up to his room, and shut the world out.

A difficult customer had gone into the coffee shop an hour before his shift ended. The guy wasn't pleasant and carried himself quite arrogantly. He talked to him like he was a child, and when his order was repeated back to him just to be safe, he scoffed and asked, 'Are you deaf? Why do I have to repeat it again?' The other customers inside the shop were already watching because he was carelessly loud, but Leo held it together in an attempt to settle the situation.

As he was ringing up the charges for the order, the customer spat the coffee he sipped back into the cup. 'What is this? This is not what I asked for,' he yelled.

Leo tried to be as calm as he could be in handling the situation, but after he explained that whatever the customer had was what he had ordered, the problem escalated to the point that one of the store owners had to come out to see what was happening. The customer dramatically retold what happened, and afterwards Leo explained his side of the story. To end it, he decided to just apologize and make him another cup free of charge.

That was when the customer made the scathing statement about how underprivileged kids like him need to work in the back room.

He expected the owner to have at least said something to defend him, but he didn't. He even said he'll think about the 'suggestion.'

To try to console him, Reina, one of the longtime workers there, told him later on that that same customer had taken a snipe at her and Devin before, too. He's the son of the CEO of the local food market and thinks everyone is beneath him. Their boss only sides with him because he needs the favor of the guy's father.

However, this only made Leo feel worse. He had been humiliated in front of many people, and the one person he had needed help from did not do anything about it. His boss even sided with that rude customer, as if everything was his fault. It made him feel powerless and useless.

It made him sad then angry.

Leo comes into the front door, still upset but also keeping his calm since he knows his aunt is home. He hopes she's outside. He doesn't want to talk to anyone right now.

"Hey, Leo!" he hears his aunt's voice after he takes off his jacket.

He doesn't say anything and just hangs the clothing in the coat closet.

"How was work?" she asks with bright smile as he unlaces his shoes by the rack closer to the living room.

"I don't want to talk about it," he replies curtly. Feeling her gaze on him, he glances up briefly and finds that there's another person in the house with them. "Hey," he mutters to Douglas as he resumes what he's doing.

Douglas doesn't say anything; he knows already that something is wrong.

"Are you okay?" Janice asks worriedly.

"Fine."

Douglas and Janice exchange a glance. Though confused, Janice tries to remain positive. "I just got off the phone with Aries," she says with a smile. "He's asking if you want to go up with them to the range this Saturday. They said it's just going to be him, Sam, and Jessica."

"No. I'm not going."

"You have to work this Saturday?"

"No. I just don't want to go."

"Okay… Maybe I can tell them you'll go another time," Janice suggests as Leo gets up then proceeds to the stairs. "I'll just tell them you'd let them know when you're available."

Leo pauses halfway up the steps, irritated and fed up. "You know what? If you like them so much, then why don't _you_ hang out with them?" he snaps at his aunt.

"Hey!" Douglas calls out defensively. However, it only falls on unhearing ears as his nephew hurries up the stairs after realizing what he had just done.

Leo drops his work backpack unceremoniously on the floor as his head swims with too many thoughts and so much emotion. All he can do is sit down on his bed as he attempts to take a deep breath. It fails, because he's too consumed with anger and guilt and feelings of worthlessness. None of these allow him any room to breathe.

He senses someone's gaze on him, and it causes him to look up. Quickly, he looks away in shame. "Look, Aunt Janice, I don't want to talk right now, okay? I'm sorry I yelled at you, but I just – I just need some space. I just want to be alone," he says briskly.

Janice remains at her spot by the doorpost. "Leo? What's going on?" she asks seriously.

"Aunt Janice, please—"

"I'm not gonna leave until you tell me what's wrong," Janice insists. "And, you can try whatever tactic you want to try to get me out. I've seen a lot of patients. I know every trick there is under the sun, and nothing really surprises me anymore."

Leo looks at her in defeat. After a moment, he says quietly, "You told me you're not gonna be a shrink when you're off hours."

"Yeah, until recently. I don't know what to do. These past two months, you've been angry and depressed and – you're shutting everybody out. The only way I can help you lately is by not being your aunt first," Janice says. When she sees a saddened look on her nephew's face, she sighs. "Why don't you tell me what's really happening here."

Leo hesitates to answer at first. He doesn't think it's a big deal. It's petty and childish, and he shouldn't be inconveniencing his aunt by telling her about it. However, he realizes soon after that she would only keep on asking him about it. His mother is persistent when she wants to be, but his aunt is all the more so, especially when it comes to things concerning him. So, he answers, "I see them in everyone I meet."

"See who?"

Leo only gives her a look.

The frown on Janice's face clears when she understands. She nods. "Adam, Bree, and Donald."

"I see them in the people I want to be friends with, I see them in that person I trusted to have my back but let me down," Leo admits. "I don't know. I don't know who to blame. I had to leave everything behind, and – and I don't know if it's their fault or my fault."

"Whose fault do you think it really is?"

"Mine," Leo says. "I let those other kids get to me. I was the one who lost control. My life's like this because I'm—" He doesn't say it. He's too much of a coward to.

Janice sees this, and though she knows what he wants to say and though it hurts her as his aunt, she only says, "It seems like you're casting other people in their places because you still feel guilty about everything that happened."

"Yeah. Casting," Leo agrees halfheartedly.

"Or, maybe, it's because you feel guilty for wanting to move on and actually doing it," Janice says, and it strikes Leo straight to the heart. She sits down beside him and then places an arm around him to assure him. "But honey, for this to be called moving on, you have to actually move on. I think you're having a hard time doing that because you skipped the part where you let yourself miss the people you've left behind. There's nothing wrong with that, you know. You're allowed to think about them, even if you did leave them by choice.

"As far as whose fault it was, what good is knowing gonna do, really? If it was their fault, you know that you're going to eventually forgive them. The people you love are the ones who will hurt you the most, and for you to be hurt this bad, it must mean that you love them a lot. And, if it was your fault, don't you think you've suffered enough for it? You've made all of these changes to protect them, even if it's tearing you completely apart. You've done everything you could, and that is enough.

"There's nothing about you or the kind of person you think you are that made you deserve this much anger and loneliness," Janice firmly tells him. "Your mother made so many sacrifices for you to think that you're not good enough for anything. She doesn't think that. I don't think that. Grandpa and Grandma don't think that, and I don't think the man sitting on the couch downstairs does either."

Leo chuckles. "The man downstairs?"

"There's that smile," Janice says as she smiles at him. "I love you, little lion, you know that?"

Leo smiles. "Yeah. I know."

Janice embraces him warmly. "Tell you what," she says as she eases out on her grip, "you take some time off. Not from work – though if you want to you could – , but just in general. You do whatever you need to do to sort things out. Then, when you're ready to give this new life another go, just let me know. I'll tell Sam and Aries that you'd be unavailable for a while. They'll understand."

"They're great people, Aunt Janice," Leo says. "I actually do like hanging out with them. They're fun."

"Glad you think that. I think they like you, too." Janice gets up then walks out of the door. "The food will be ready in about thirty minutes. You can eat with us or eat later. Your choice."

"Thanks."

"Mm-hm."

After his aunt pulls the door close, Leo's left with silence. However, it's not as potent and poisonous as it used to be. The emptiness isn't as suffocating either. In fact, he realizes that the space allows him to think clearer.

He can't say that everything is absolutely better now. At best, he still has guilt to contend with. But his aunt says he can take his time. There's no hurry in getting it straightened out, and he has her support. So he will try, and he decides to start everything off by apologizing to his uncle later for the brash way he acted.

* * *

 _Write an essay in which you discuss a significant event that has had the most impact in your life and has contributed to your growth into adulthood._

Leo stares at that prompt for the college application essay as he sits at his study desk. He has filled up everything in the packet, and with the help of his aunt he had sent everything that the university had asked from him. Now the only task he has left to do is writing his essay. He had picked that prompt from the three that were provided, and he's been thinking over it a while. There were many events that came to his mind, but only two stuck with him the most.

After weighing which one had the bigger effect on him and had caused the most growth, he's decided to go with the most recent one.

He picks out a pencil from the metallic holder then pulls the empty printer paper to begin his draft. He mulls over his opening words, because his aunt has told him that the first sentence makes the deepest impression. After it forms in his mind, he begins. _For a long time, I wondered if it was my fault,_ he writes, and through each word, each sentence, and each paragraph, he unknowingly cuts the strings that restrained him to the academy, to Mission Creek, and to the people he's left behind.

* * *

Warm colors burn through the trees and bushes around them as autumn moves into the horizon. Crisp, chilly air accompanies the change in the season, causing the people in the city to move faster when outside and linger longer when inside. There's something attractive about it. Admittedly, the transition from hectic and lively to easy-going and slow is interesting to watch.

By this time, Leo has gotten used to a semblance of a schedule. Work is slightly picking up, but it's not as insane as it was a few months ago. He's there regularly, even picking up some extra shifts when the shop is short-staffed, and it's good because it gives him something to be occupied with. On the weekdays or afternoons that he's off, he's usually with Aries or Sam, or both of them if their schoolwork allows. He's been hanging out with them a lot, which he likes because he's learning many things about them.

Like the fact that besides a few similarities, Aries and Sam are actually not like Adam and Bree.

He also likes that they're getting him very acquainted with the city. As it turns out, there are many things to do there. All he has to do is look.

On Saturday mornings well into the afternoon, he's usually at Douglas' house—in the basement, to be exact. At first, the intention was to train, but after a change of plans a few times where they decided to watch the superhero shows Douglas had recorded on the DVR instead, the activity for the day had become more flexible. At times they trained, and at times they just watched TV.

Lately, because Douglas has been very tired from work the day prior, they just binge watch the shows.

Leo doesn't complain. Quite honestly, he welcomes the mental respite, too.

That morning, they watch a few classic sci-fi movies. Douglas picks the first one. In the beginning, Leo thought he wasn't going to like it, but he's actually enjoying it. He's leaning forward, eyes glued on the TV, as he absently munches on the chips he's scooped from the bowl sitting on his lap. The intensity is building in the scene, and his attention is on nothing else but that.

He doesn't notice the soft frown on Douglas' face and the way he's been fidgeting with the remote in his hand as he ponders over something consequential. The inventor sits up after another moment. "Hey, Leo."

"Yeah."

"Would you find it weird if I ask Janice out on a date?"

Leo chokes on the chips he's eating. He coughs out almost too harshly as he tries to dislodge the food out of his air pipe.

Though confused, Douglas gingerly pats his step-nephew on the back in an attempt to help.

Once it stops, Leo, wiping his eyes dry, turns towards his uncle and asks, "What?!"

"I wanna ask your aunt out on a date," Douglas says, leaning back again on the couch.

Leo stares at him, confused and shocked. "What am I supposed to do with that information?" he asks.

"Nothing." Douglas folds his arms in front of him. "Look. I like her, okay? I'm just asking you so I know what to expect, and, based on how you just reacted, I guess you are as…not happy about this as I expected."

Leo's eyes slightly narrow. He tries several times to get some questions out, but he doesn't succeed. The only one that makes it out is, "When did this happen?"

Douglas shrugs coolly.

Leo wants to process that revelation, but it doesn't work. His brain is too stunned by thoughts that don't even make sense.

"There's nothing you have to do here. I wasn't asking for permission. …Well, alright, maybe I kinda was, but I was more concerned about how this would affect you and me," Douglas says. "I don't want you to be angry with me or be awkward when around me because of this."

"I mean, I'm not angry," Leo says, "but – this is kind of different. I know it's your business, and ultimately it's Aunt Janice's decision, but what if she says no? It's gonna be awkward between you two. She'll be avoiding you and then you'll avoid her and then I'll eventually become the middleman between you two and," his shoulders hitch up, "we're still going to be good, but there's gonna be – you know."

"I know. But I really like her." Douglas sighs when he sees a look of uncertainty in his step-nephew's features. "This is not to take advantage of her. I can assure you that."

Leo sees a ghost of sadness underlying his step-uncle's mildly defensive statement, and it worries him. "I wasn't saying that."

"I know. I just need you to never think it."

"Alright," Leo says. Though he's inclined to say no to the idea due to the possible consequences, he realizes that it's not his place to discourage something that can make Douglas happy. From the looks of it, he seems to really like his aunt. He's always enjoyed her company, so he knows it's really genuine. "When are you going to ask her?"

"Probably later on today," Douglas says.

A grin pulls on Leo's lips when he catches a glimmer of anxiety in him. "Are you nervous?" he asks.

Douglas looks at the TV screen. "When is it ever easy to ask someone that you like out?" he says. He rewinds back to the part they missed.

Leo shrugs. "True."

The movie continues on, but both of them barely pay any attention to it as they're wrapped in their own thoughts. As the morning rolls on into the afternoon then into early evening, Leo tries not to be so obvious in his eagerness to get back home to find out what will happen. He says nothing about the conversation when his aunt gets back from her day out with Claire and a few colleagues, and he pretends everything is normal. He nearly forgets about it, especially after he gets a call from Sam after dinner. He goes up to his room to look for the book he's bought a month ago that he told her she can borrow. After she said she'll pick it up tomorrow morning, the call ends, and he goes back downstairs with the novel in his hand.

He finds his aunt with an unreadable expression on her face. "What," he asks.

"Douglas just stopped by," she says.

Then he remembers. "Oh," he says. "Did he need something?"

"Well, he just gave me back something that he borrowed, but—he just asked me if I'd like to go on a dinner with him Friday night."

"Oh, yeah? What did you say?"

Her brows wrinkle as she recalls the conversation. She chuckles. "I said yes."

* * *

Being snowed in is still a fairly new concept that Leo (and also Douglas) needs to get used to. He's experienced bad winter weather before while out west, but it's nothing like how it is in the east. Ice just accumulates and traps people. Not to mention also endanger them. He's come to really detest it especially when driving. The city, for the most part, does well in keeping the streets cleared of the slush, but caution and control are still required whenever he's behind the wheel. His car slipped a little once while he was on his way to the car shop one morning to pick up his aunt.

It's still one of the most terrifying experiences that had ever happened to him down to this day.

Nonetheless, it has its perks. The best would have to be that horrible weather allows him to be unabashedly lazy whenever he's not working. He's also given an excuse to just stay in the house, although with Aries and Sam constantly being on the phone with him, he's never really bored. He would just talk to them about a number of things while sitting on the couch in his pajamas, staring at the constant snowfall outside.

However, with the most recent one that has just passed, he didn't talk to his friends so much. Aries has been busy with finals and getting ready for graduation, and Sam has been focused on tests and had been very preoccupied with school projects. It's okay, though. Unlike months ago, he likes the quiet this time. It's peaceful, and he gets to attend to some other things.

This afternoon, he's just lying in bed, scrolling through his Instagram feed for anything interesting. He's unfollowed and muted numerous people these past few months, so there are not a lot of pictures to see. There are posts of quotes from Chase's account here and there, as well as a few photographs from whenever they're out of the island. He had liked those a long time ago. His mother has never had many photos up since the beginning. She only really maintains her account due to her job. The station said she needs one. She's told him several times, though, that she dislikes it.

The person with the most activity in the small list of the people he follows is Aries. He posts quite a number of pictures, but they're mostly related to his interests. Some of them are of him and of his family. Some are just of him. Lately, pictures of the three of them while they're hanging out have been frequenting his feed.

The newest one, which was apparently posted just ten minutes ago, is a throwback to last week when Aries took Jessica out for lunch for getting good grades on her test, and he and Sam were invited. They had stopped by a party supply store on the way home, one that also sold costumes and props, and the siblings thought it was a good idea to try on some of the masks on sale. Thus, the photo of Iron Man and Star 'Lady' versus Spider-Man and mini Groot was born. _Lunch with the little sis and the buds. Then this happened. #BattleMarvel,_ the comment on it says.

Leo grins before clicking on the like button.

A notification comes up. _breedavxo liked the photo you're tagged in,_ it says.

Leo pauses for a moment then taps on it to make sure it is who he thinks it is. There he sees his older sister's account. His brows furrow. That's the fourth picture this week that he's either been tagged in or posted that Bree has liked.

His phone suddenly buzzes. _We're free people tonight, dude. Let's watch a movie,_ Aries says in a text.

Leo chuckles but only goes back to the feed.

 _Come out of your house,_ Aries says a minute later.

 _Leo, please reply to Aries' texts. He's driving me crazy!_ Sam complains three minutes later.

 _You better come. We'll be there in half an hour,_ Aries says.

 _A_

 _B_

 _C_

 _D_

 _E_

 _I can go on and on, man. There are 21 more letters in the alphabet._

Leo groans as he gets up. _Fine, fine. I'm coming,_ he texts back before tossing his phone back to the bed, neglecting to see the new notification that comes up on another picture.

* * *

Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez invited close friends over for their Superbowl party on the first Sunday of February, so that is where Leo, Janice, and Douglas spend their evening. There aren't too many people there. Besides the family hosting the event, Sam and her grandmothers are also there. Aries and Jessica's aunt and uncle, along with their nine year-old cousin Hayden, are also there since they're spending the weekend with them. Their group is relatively small, but it's enough to create a cozy environment.

Having no interest whatsoever in the game, Mrs. Rodriguez, Grandma Russel, Halmeoni Park, and Mr. and Mrs. Arturo stay upstairs to watch a movie and chat. Meanwhile, downstairs in the basement, the rest of them are sitting on the sectional, watching the game. Leo and Aries do not understand anything that's happening and are only really there to see the commercials and the halftime show. Douglas has enough knowledge of the game, but it's not enough to get him as invested in it as the others. He's there to spend time with his friends, as well as spend time with Janice.

"I don't know about this," Mr. Rodriguez comments as he frowns at the TV. "The Panthers can still catch on, but…"

Sam nods. "Yeah, the Broncos' defense is not making it easy for them," she says. Mr. Rodriguez and Janice agree. "That might just be what wins the game for them, the defense."

"Yeah, I think so, too," Janice says. She looks back at Douglas and asks, "What do you think?"

"I…will just agree with you as I pretend to know what's happening," Douglas says. He smiles.

Janice grins then laughs before leaning back into his arm.

"Hey, did you hear about the new DLC that they're releasing for _Velocity X_?" Aries asks Leo quietly.

"No," Leo says, brows furrowed. "They have a new one?"

"Yeah, man. They're releasing it…March 15th?" Aries picks up his phone then says, "Wait. Let me check."

Leo's frown deepens and he thinks about it. "I gotta save up money for that then," he comments.

"Yep. March 15. That's what it says here," Aries says as he points at his phone. "You should tell Chase about it."

"I will. He'd been complaining about some features that need to be included. It'll make him happy."

Aries nods. Then, as something occurs to him, he chuckles. "I still can't believe this. I mean, I still haven't met him in person, but it's just crazy that I actually get to play video games with someone who's bionic. And I get to talk to him! That's nuts. I wish I can tell other people about it."

Leo smiles. If only Aries knew.

"Leo?" Mrs. Rodriguez calls from upstairs. "Leo, there's someone here upstairs asking for you."

Leo frowns. "Asking for me?" he mutters.

"You invited someone else?" Aries asks curiously as everyone else looks at the teenager.

Before Leo can shake his head, Mrs. Rodriguez adds, a smile evident in the tone of her voice, "You're gonna want to come up here."

Though puzzled, Leo goes up the stairs to see who it is that came.

Aries, Douglas and Janice exchange glances. Janice only shrugs when Douglas looks at her inquisitively. Her nephew hasn't told her of anyone coming.

A few minutes later, Leo comes back downstairs, and he looks very lost. However, he's not alone. With him is a girl, around the same age as he. She's wearing dark pants, sensible black boots, and a light blue sweater, which complimented her long, wavy blonde hair and blue eyes. She's smiling, but it's evident that she's embarrassed for crashing in to a party she's not really invited to.

"Hi there," Mr. Rodriguez says with a smile, waving them over. "Come in, come in. You can sit here with us."

"Oh. Okay. Thanks," the girl says.

"You're a Panthers fan, huh?" Mr. Rodriguez says, nodding at the colors of her outfit.

She chuckles as she and Leo sit together. "No. I think I just coincidentally wore the team colors," she says.

Mr. Rodriguez only smiles.

Before an awkward silence settles in, Janice leans forward so the girl can see her better. She holds out her hand. "Hi, I'm Janice. I'm Leo's aunt," she says. When the girl shakes her hand, she asks, "Do you and Leo work at the coffee shop together?"

The girl shakes her head. "No," she says, exchanging glances with Leo. "It's the first time he's met me, I think." When she realizes that his aunt is waiting for further explanation, she says, "I'm Amaranth. I'm the secret admirer."

Those words cause five pairs of eyes to shoot towards her.

Thinking that it was a joke, Douglas laughs but stops abruptly when Leo leans forward and frowns at him. "Wait," Douglas says. "You're serious."

Amaranth nods. "I hope it's okay that I crashed your party," she tells Mr. Rodriguez with an apologetic smile. "Leo left me a note telling me to come here. I was looking for him, and I was invited in by your wife."

Mr. Rodriguez, who's also known about the letters like the others, just says, "It's not a problem at all. Have you eaten?"

"No, sir."

"We have lots of food upstairs. You're free to get as much as you'd like," Mr. Rodriguez says.

"Here. I'll come with you," Janice offers as she gets up from her seat, and it cues Amaranth to follow. After letting the girl go first, Janice darts Leo an excited grin before vanishing upstairs with her.

Once they're gone, Leo releases a breath he didn't even know he was holding. It clears his mind a little bit, but not as much as he hopes it would. The looks he's getting from the other people in the basement is not making him any more comfortable. He knows they're wondering about this new girl and want more information, but he doesn't have any answers. Their questions are probably the same as the ones bouncing off inside his head.

He does know one thing for sure: that night is gonna be more interesting than he previously thought it would be.

* * *

 _to be continued._


	3. iii

_Thank you so much for the reviews from the following wonderful people!_

 ** _AlienGhostWizard14 -_** _Thanks, man! I know I sent you a reply already, but still._

 ** _EmeraldTulip -_** _Haha, I know! It's overtly long. I didn't mean for it to end up that way! / You're right about your thoughts regarding Leo and the rest of his family. He does miss them, but because he constantly avoided acknowledging that, it got to him. Now it's all good. / And yes! You caught it! It was a Flash reference! As far as the secret admirer, haha, I'm so predictable nowadays!_

 ** _Guest -_** _Yes, they will! As far as Adam and Bree, it will be answered soon._

 ** _LanaBanana -_** _(First off, I love that username, okay? It's just awesome.) Alright. Now with that out in the open, thanks so much! I really appreciate that! What Bree did may seem a little unusual, but she was actually doing it because that was the closest thing she could get into trying to breach the gap between her and Leo. She didn't quite have the courage yet to really talk to him, so she subtly let him know through those likes that she misses him. :)_

 _Thanks again, you guys!_

 _Quickly, I just want to point you guys to a new note that had been added to my profile page because it will affect this series or story in the near future. It's towards the end._

 _This is one of my favorite chapters in the story. Still long, but it's broken up nicely and much lighter than the last. Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

 _iii._

Leo tries not to be affected by the sweltering gazes that Aries and Sam are directing at him, but he fails. He knows they're demanding an explanation from him. Giving that to them is not a problem. However, what makes it difficult is that he can see that they feel like he has deceived them. He doesn't know if he can handle that because after all these months, they have become his best friends. The last thing he wants is for them to lose their trust in him. He sighs. "Oh, come on, guys. Don't look at me like that," he says.

They don't budge. Sam's arms are still knotted in front of her, and Aries, with his now powered down laptop sitting beside him, only continues staring. The smiles that usually frequented their faces don't seem like they will make an appearance soon.

Sam finally speaks. "Why didn't you tell us?" she asks, displeased. Yet, there's a hope of forgiveness in the way she said it.

Why didn't he tell them? There were many reasons. One was that he didn't want to tout that information around others because he doesn't want to use it as a crutch to build a relationship with the new people he'd meet. Another was that he didn't think it would be important. He's giving normal life a try, and it only made sense to put the most _not_ normal part of his life in the back burner.

But, he guesses, all things that are hidden will come out in the open sooner or later.

For him, today—this morning, specifically—seems to be that day.

 _It was a rather lazy morning. With Sam's grandmothers off running a few errands, she was left at their house by herself. She figured that she should invite Aries and Leo over to help her finish the bountiful breakfast that her grandparents had left for her. When she called and told them, they were only too happy to come over._

 _An hour later, with their stomachs full, they decided to move on into other activities. Aries worked on his laptop by the kitchen island, while Leo looked at the pictures that hung at the wall on the adjacent living room. Sam, on the other hand, was searching for a movie they could watch._

 _They were in the middle of discussing their choices when breaking news came on the small TV at the kitchen counter, which had been droning on since earlier that morning. The reporter announced an ongoing robbery at a local bank. He said that police were at the scene and were hoping to conduct a peaceful negotiation with the criminals who were holding several employees as well as customers hostage._

 _"Wow. That's the second time this month," Aries commented as he watched aghast. "I hope it's not the same people. Those men are brutes. They need to be in jail for what they did."_

 _Leo nodded in agreement. That bank robbery had slipped past them, and it was too late before anyone could do anything about it. As he thought back on it and the consequences it brought on those innocent lives, he was moved to call Chase and ask for help. However, the thought was interrupted when Sam abruptly left the room, clearly afraid and upset. All he and Aries could do was look at each other with puzzled stares._

 _The answer to their questions came just a few minutes later when Sam came back from the basement, clothed in an oversized hoodie and grasping a bow._

 _Alarmed, Aries shot out of his seat. "Whoa, whoa, Sam! Where are you going?" he asked._

 _"I'm going to that bank," Sam said as she secured the quiver full of arrows to her side._

 _"What?" But Sam ignored him. When she made a move towards the backdoor, he blocked her path._

 _"Aries, move," Sam said silently, but in her eyes burned determination._

 _"No. Are you crazy? Those guys could hurt you," Aries asserted. His brows wrinkled. "What's gotten into you, Sam? Why're you charging to this pla—"_

 _"That's where my grandmothers are, Aries, don't you get it?" Sam said, pointing at the television furiously. "They're being held hostage. I need to go there."_

 _Aries blocked her again as she tried to sidestep him. "No, what – You can't just go there with your bow and arrows. These men have real weapons. You may have great skills, but this is not the time to try it," he said. "Just leave it to the cops."_

 _"I can't just wait. It's either I go home today with both of them or I die today with them." With tears of anguish brimming in her eyes, Sam said, "No one will take my family away from me again. Not if I can help it."_

 _Aries' resolve crumbled a little as he understood. However, he didn't move out of the way._

 _"Sam—"_

 _"You can't stop me, Leo," Sam told him._

 _"I'm not going to stop you," Leo said. He got out of his seat. "I'm coming with you."_

 _Five minutes later, after he too switched into a hoodie so as to keep his identity concealed, they left, leaving Aries very confused and worried._

The succession of events isn't very clear now as Leo thinks back on it, and he guesses it may be the adrenaline that came with the impromptu mission. He recalls brief moments, like he and Sam sneaking into the back of the bank and receiving a call from Aries, telling them what was going on inside through the feed that he had accessed in a 'stupid' attempt to keep them safe. He recalls the moment when Sam and Aries found out. It's not like he can forget it; the look of sheer horror and shock on Sam's face after he used electrokinesis on one of the criminals who took the bait is engraved on his brain.

There are a few other things, but they're too blurry at the moment. All he remembers is the result: the criminals were apprehended, and all the hostages got to go home.

To keep what they had done a secret (Sam is positive she would get an earful from her grandmothers if they get a confirmation that she did risk her life to save them), the three of them decided to relocate at his basement. He had hoped they would have a conversation about it, but all he's been getting are those stares.

Leo shrugs, and then finally answers the question hanging over them. "I just didn't think it was important," he replies honestly. "Are…you guys mad at me?"

Sam sighs. She uncrosses her arms as she stands up straighter. "No. How can I be mad at you?" she says. "But, I do wish you'd let us know."

"Yeah," Aries agrees. "You being bionic is kind of a big deal."

"Well, technically, I'm not bionic. It's only my right arm that has abilities," Leo says, waving his right arm briefly.

"Whole, in part, it doesn't matter. In my book, that still counts as bionic," Aries says.

The faintest of smiles tugs at Leo's lips at that. He's so used being to being told that he's not part of the superpowered group and being excluded that for someone not to do it for once leaves him encouraged. "So, does this mean you guys don't want to be friends with me anymore?" he asks.

Aries and Sam exchange glances. Then, they chuckle. "Leo, if there's anything that the whole bank robbery thing taught me it's that you're a good person. You helped me save my family," Sam says with a grateful smile. "How can I not want to be friends with a person like you?"

"Yeah, man," Aries agrees. "Plus, things like that don't matter to us. …Well, okay, it does, because it's pretty cool to have a friend that has abilities. But, in the long run, as long as you're not a jerk and can deal with our interesting personalities, we're kosher."

Leo smiles at them, and for the second time since he has met them he's glad that his aunt has forced him to open up a place for new friends in his life. Maybe they're just exactly what he needs for the normalcy he's been after.

Then again, maybe this 'normal' life with these new people isn't so normal. With a teenage girl who had managed to disarm a criminal with one arrow and a guy who had broken into a supposedly hack-proof system with ease, maybe he has found something a little better than what he was hoping to find.

"So, not to be nosy but, is electricity the only superpower you have?" Aries asks but tries not to sound too eager.

Leo grins. "No, I've got three others," he says. "You want me to show you?"

Aries excitedly nods. Sam, meanwhile, only grins.

Upon their encouragement, Leo complies, and the moments that follow, unknown to them, forges the strong bond between the members of a new team.

* * *

By the time spring is in full bloom, the trio has already gone on a few other missions, or 'ops,' as Aries dubs it. Three, if Leo's to be exact, the first being the bank robbery. They weren't overzealous to prove their presence. That bank ops had created a lot of controversy already, and the three of them didn't like the idea of their identities being discovered. Leo is confident that his family will do just fine, but Aries' and Sam's may not stand as good a chance should the enemies they're starting to make come after them.

In addition, they didn't want to be in the way of the cops. They need those men and women to be their allies, so they didn't want to irritate them or make them feel like those hooded, unidentified kids are showing them up. So, the three of them made a deal that they will only go if the situation seems absolutely dire.

Thus, the small number.

The three of them are satisfied with how things are, but apparently Janice and Douglas aren't. After they ate breakfast earlier that Saturday morning, the two tell their nephew that they have a surprise. Leo, brain still slightly fogged by morning grogginess and the taste of delicious food churning in his mouth, doesn't think much of it but is curious. When they say that they have to go to Douglas' basement, he begins wondering if that surprise is a pet.

At the basement, after having him sit down, Janice instructs him to close his eyes, which he does. Just to be safe, she covers them with her hands. He hears Douglas' soft footsteps and a soft squeaking before the noises stop. "Okay. Ready?" Janice asks, and Leo can feel the excitement through her fingers.

Before he can answer, she takes her hands off his eyes, cuing him to open them. One quick look, and his eyes widen, a gasp following it.

In front of him stands a mannequin, its dimensions adjusted to his measurements. The top that it has on is of what appears to be a stretchy leatherette material that's dark copper in tone. On the shoulders and the side of the torso were black, same material but thicker. It lines the sleeves, too, from the shoulders down to the wrists. It has a hood connected to it, anchored down just below the clavicle by what look like dark buttons. The gloves are black. The pants are made of the same thick, black leather material, but there are indiscernible horizontal trims near the edge of both sides.

Leo knows exactly what it is: a new mission suit.

Or, actually, an _ops_ suit.

"Do you like it?" Janice asks with a large grin as she stands beside Douglas and the mannequin.

Leo wants to say many things, but the volume of excitement that's hitting him shorted his brain and his tongue.

Douglas smirks when he sees the look on the eighteen year-old's face. "I think that's a yes," he tells Janice.

"I mean, how – What—" Leo manages then stares in shock at the suit speechlessly again.

"Look, sweetheart, as much as the idea of you going on these dangerous ops makes me nervous, I know that there's nothing I can do to stop you from trying to help people," Janice admits. "I've been talking to Douglas about it, and he said that the best way we can protect you is by making this for you. We've been working on this for about two and a half months now."

"You helped make this?"

Janice smiles proudly. "Of course."

Leo thinks over it and then nods appreciatively at the suit. "It shows. I see you still got that eye for designing."

Janice chuckles.

"Hey, I helped, too," Douglas chimes in, seemingly offended by the lack of acknowledgement. "I crafted this masterpiece to do a lot."

"What _does_ it do?"

"Many things. First, it's built to be as weatherproof as possible. Rain, snow. It has a built in warming system in case you get stuck in a cold place. I haven't perfected a cooling system yet, but for the meantime you should be able to survive summer ops with relatively no problem." Douglas smirks proudly as he moves on to the next and what has got to be the best feature yet. He draws the hood over the mannequin's head, revealing how much it can cover. "Then there's this bad boy."

Leo grins. "I see you guys made sure something from my old mission suit survives into this new one," he teases.

Janice's grin turns into a sly smile. Douglas holds up his index finger, telling him to wait. Then, he presses the button by the right shoulder twice.

The suit vanishes.

Leo gapes.

Satisfied with the reaction, Douglas explains, "We understand how important anonymity is for you three, so I put in a cloaking device. Click this right button two times, and you will turn invisible. Click it once, and it should blur your features – at least when you have the hood on."

"The gloves have very useful features, too," Janice says.

Douglas nods in agreement.

After his uncle deactivates the cloaking device, Leo slowly gets up from his seat then walks over to the suit.

As he examines it, Douglas tells him, "This is not the same suit, kid. It's made just for you and your team and whatever you guys need."

"We spent a lot of time and money on this, little lion— _emphasis_ on money. So please, take good care of it," she requests. "And take better care of yourself."

Leo runs his fingers on the material. He stops for a moment once it grazes the right button attached to the hood. Then, gradually, a huge, excited grin rises up to his face. "This is mine?" he asks.

Douglas smirks. Janice, softly grinning, nods. "Yes. This is yours."

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" he says, encasing his aunt in a tight hug.

"You may want to share this news, kid. After all…" Douglas walks off towards the storage room then comes back with two other mannequins dressed in suits with the similar dark copper and black material but different styles, "you're not the only person getting one."

Slowly, Leo disengages from Janice as he stares wide-eyed at her then at Douglas then at the suits then her again. "Aries and Sam get new suits, too?" he asks Douglas.

"The three of you come as a package deal now, right?"

Janice chuckles as Leo's hands balls into fists with rapidly building excitement, a huge grin on his face. She nods up the stairs. "Go on. Don't you have big news to share?" she says.

This catapulted Leo into a sprint up the stairs, giving off an excited scream as he makes a conference call with both of his best friends. "Get out of bed, Aries! You and Sam need to come over at my uncle's house right now!"

As the teenager continues to rattle off enthusiastically, downstairs, Janice is moved to look at Douglas with a smile. "Do you think we're spoiling him too much?" she asks sincerely.

Douglas shrugs, smiling. After a year of being submerged in misery, the kid is starting to find a way back to the surface and be happy again. He has no problem with doing things like this if it means helping him out. "Ah, let him be spoiled," he says. "He deserves it."

* * *

"Mastering your abilities is good. It's great, because that helps you adapt to different situations. But for you to become fully versatile, you have to sharpen your skills in areas where you _don't_ use your bionics. We need to start training you in those, too."

Leo looks up from where he sits on the grass, and he sees that his uncle is waiting for an answer. He only blinks.

A sigh. "See, here's the thing: the more ops you guys take, the higher the risk becomes. Your enemies will start to find ways to outsmart you. What if they figure out a way to shut down your bionics, and what if Sam isn't there to help you?"

"I…can…ask Aries to un-shut it down?"

"Leo. I'm serious. The world you're trying to protect is not getting any better. It's getting uglier out there by the minute. The things you know and the things you can do are important in keeping your team safe."

Slowly, the smile on Leo's face vanishes. He turns his eyes ahead to the green landscape that runs parallel to the spring skies above. He knows Douglas is right; he needs to take trainings more seriously than he ever had before. Despite the streak of successes the three of them have had these past few months on the missions they had gone to, he knows that sooner or later they will have to face one that would rock them to their core. The best they can do to brace for it is to prepare as much as possible.

He sighs. "I know," he says.

"What about archery?" Douglas suggests.

"Ah, I'm mediocre at best. I'll probably be good at it in a few years." Leo takes a swig of water, wipes his mouth dry with the back of his hand, and then says, "The only other things I'm good at are coding, which Aries already has covered, binge watching shows on Netflix, handling a firestaff, and messing up my taxes. If you can count those as offense-defense skills, then we're in business. Otherwise…"

Douglas frowns thoughtfully. "What was that last thing you said?"

"Messing up my taxes?" Leo repeats, confused. He chuckles. "I told you and Aunt Janice that the form still confuses me. I'm pretty sure that after—"

"No, no. The one before that." Douglas lightly points to him and says, "You said you're good at handling a firestaff."

"Yeah?"

"How good?"

"I won the battle at the convention about two years ago." When a sly grin creeps up Douglas' face, he scoffs. "Firestaffs don't count. It's just a prop from a movie. And, I imagine those things can be reprogrammed, too."

"Yeah, but bo staffs can't be."

Leo frowns, unsure what his uncle means.

Three weeks later, he understands, when two hilts are added to the side of his ops suit, complete with holsters, each bearing retractable steel bo staffs that are as sturdy and durable as steel bats.

* * *

Janice is in the middle of setting up her garden, with Douglas helping her, when Leo walks out the front door. Their laughter stops when they see the confused expression on his face. His mind is obviously lost somewhere else, trying to grasp a thought that she can't discern. Looking at him, she sees an unfolded letter on one hand and an opened envelope on the other. "Leo?" she says carefully, nervously.

Leo blinks, as if suddenly tugged out of his thoughts. He looks at her then says, "It's the university." A small smile of disbelief slowly rises to his lips. "I got accepted."

* * *

Summer is nicely ambling into the city, and the cozy temperature is very much welcomed by the three that Saturday morning. They and Douglas had found an area in the park that's secluded and safe just a few months ago, and it is there where they conduct both their personal and collective trainings.

"Of course he's gonna stay in the team," Leo tells Sam as they watch Aries shoot arrows rapidly into their self-made targets from a distance. "Not only is he the best hacker around, but he's someone that we know we can trust."

Sam crosses her arms then leans at the boulder Leo is sitting at. She smirks. Before Leo got there this morning, she told Aries that for him to be able to stay in the team, he has to improve his skills. She told him that coming from a high profile team, Douglas and Leo wouldn't be impressed if his defensive abilities are weak.

At first, she had doubts that her best friend would take that bait, but soon enough he grabbed a bow, a quiver full of arrows, and asked her what he needed to do. He has been at it for a while, and the shots are getting wilder and wilder by the minute. She grins. "Keep going, Aries, you're doing great!" she yells to him.

Aries turns towards her, heaving each of his breath, his shoulders sagging in exhaustion. "How many more do I have to do?" he shouts back from down the range.

"Ten more!" Sam chuckles. "You're doing great!"

Leo chuckles. Shaking his head, he tells her, "You know, for a teenage superhero, you're mean."

The grin on Sam's face only grows.

Well, technically, having Aries learn how to defend himself isn't _really_ cruel.

* * *

It's nearly ten at night when Leo finally locks up the coffee shop. Reina's supposed to have that responsibility, but since she had to organize a few events at the university, she had to leave early. Devin had helped him clean up the place as best he can, but he had to leave early, too. He was apologetic about it, but Leo had told him not to worry; he had closed down the place before. The part of the town is also surprisingly silent tonight, so there shouldn't be any problems.

As he's locking the doors, the sound of familiar footfalls stop just right behind him. Quickly glancing up, he sees the shadows of a boy and a girl. Thinking it's Aries and Sam, he smirks. "You guys _would_ come just as when I'm about to close. What, local coffee shop's finally good enough for you?"

"We're not here for the coffee."

Leo's smile quickly vanishes. He turns around to the sound of the voice, and in front of him he finds the two people he least expected to see.

Bree manages a small smile. She glances up at Adam, who looks as apprehensive as she feels, and then continues. "We were wondering if you can spare just a few minutes for us. We're hoping the three of us can sit down and talk," she says.

Thoughts and emotions conflict inside his head. He remembers the academy then the departure with no goodbyes. He also remembers his conversation with his aunt about love and forgiveness. He thinks about all of this, and it boils down to the fact that even if the cut is still healing, he had missed them.

He had missed his older brother and sister a lot.

Leo nods. "Yeah," he says. He gestures to the empty table nearby where they sit for the next hour to talk.

* * *

"Yo dude! I got the new game, got two extra-large crazy pizzas, it's Friday night. Let's get turnt! …Oh. Hey, Janice!"

Leo shakes his head and grins as he listens to the sounds of Aries' and Sam's footsteps above. He pauses the video game currently playing on the large screen then waits.

"Leo! Where you at, man?"

"Basement," Leo calls up.

There's soft shuffling from upstairs, and then he hears footfalls descending the steps. "Alright. Let's get this thing start—" Aries stops mid-stride, Sam doing the same, when they see that Leo is not alone.

Leo only smiles. "I got two more people to play the game with us. You don't mind, right?" he asks.

Aries looks at them one by one, stunned, and then shakes his head. "Oh, uh, n-no. No, it's – it's all cool," he says.

"Great." As Aries and Sam come in hesitantly, he says, "Guys, you know my siblings – Adam, Bree, and Chase Davenport."

"Hey," Adam says as he stands up to shake their hands.

"Hi," Aries says.

"Now, Chase, you know Aries already. We've been playing _Velocity X_ for forever."

"Of course. Hello," Chase says, shaking Aries' hand.

"I've mentioned him to you guys, too."

"Yes, you did," Bree says, smiling. "Aries Rodriguez, right?"

"Right," Aries says, hoping desperately that Leo won't reveal one of the secrets he's told him – namely, that he has a crush on his sister.

"He's also the team's hacker extraordinaire," Leo says proudly.

"Oh yeah. We've heard about those missions you guys are going to," Adam says with a nod. "Yeah, how do I know you don't have some cheats up your sleeves for this game?"

"The game just came out last night, Adam," Leo says. "Plus, cheats is not how Aries rolls. Right, man?"

"Uh, yeah. Right."

"Oh. Well, that's too bad. If you did, I was going to snatch you up for my squad," Adam says, sitting back down.

As his siblings either shakes their head or roll their eyes, Leo continues with, "Guys, this is Sam Park. She's the resident master archer and my other partner-in-crime. Or not crime. More like, partner-in-saving-people."

"Hello," Sam says amicably. "Leo's told us about all of you. Good to meet you all in person."

"Same," Bree says kindly.

"Yeah. Leo's told us about your first mission at the bank," Chase says. "Your skills are pretty impressive."

"Thanks."

As the two politely smile at each other, Leo takes note of Chase's prolonged gaze at Sam as well as the slight increase in the brightness of the smile in Sam's face.

"So, uh, can we share with the pizza, too? I'm kinda starving," Adam says.

"Yeah. Yeah, sure," Aries says as he places the pizza boxes down on a nearby table. He chuckles. "It's pretty huge, so all of us will have enough."

"Cool."

As his siblings and his best friends interact that night, Leo can't help but think how much things can change in a (relatively) short period of time.

* * *

A week later, Leo, Sam, and Aries find themselves in the basement again, but this time it's just the three of them. After watching a movie and spending some time out on the town, they're currently winding down, just talking about different things, some of which involved missions, some of which didn't. Occasionally, mundane topics will saunter in to the conversation, and they get a good laugh or two out of it.

As the clock nears midnight, talking has mostly died down. Aries, after changing into something more comfortable, is by himself on one of the tables, eyes trained on his laptop as he browses on the internet. Meanwhile, Leo and Sam are on the couch, watching a documentary they had picked at random. They talk about various things, but soon enough, as exhaustion and a lull settle in, they stop.

After Aries leaves for the kitchen upstairs, a question in the back of Leo's mind resurfaces. He hesitates to ask Sam first. He glances at her indecisively but then decides it might be the best moment to bring it up. "Sam?"

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

It catches Sam's attention and even seems to wake her up.

"Before we went to the bank months ago, you said that you're not going to let anyone take your family away from you again," Leo says. "What do you mean by that?"

Sam thinks back on it for a moment. Then, when she remembers, a small smile begins to pull on her lips.

"Too personal?"

"Kind of, but I don't mind sharing it now," Sam says. "I just meant that I'm not gonna let bad people pull one over me again, because that's how I lost both of my parents. My dad was a doctor, and he's always participated in that Doctors Without Borders program? He came off for a bit when he and Mom got married then when they had me. He came back on when I was three. He left for an assignment one summer; I can't remember the country from the top of my head."

She pauses as she remembers the last video her mother took of her and her father before he left that year. Her smile slightly fades. "It's been years, and I can't remember much about him now, but I do remember him telling me that he'd bring home something for me. We thought things were going well for the first few days after he got there. Then, we found out that a rebel group had targeted a group of visitors. Never heard from Dad for a while. Months later, the news came. He wasn't ever coming back home."

Leo sees then a kind of sadness on her face that he hasn't seen before. It's honest, pure, and heartbreaking.

"Mom and I were managing for a while. She was a teacher at the school I was going to, so we were able to stay close to each other. We were fine, and things were getting better. Then, one Friday, she left me with my grandmothers because she had to attend some awards ceremony for teachers. She was on her way back home, but then she got into a car accident. Drunk driver. The guy walked away. My mom didn't." Tears then glaze her eyes even as she obviously tries to fight them back. "I wasn't going to let anybody do that to me again. Not with the only family that I have."

From that, Leo begins to understand the fire in her eyes that day and all the other days they had gone to save other people. "I'm really sorry, Sam," he says sincerely.

Sam chuckles as she wipes her eyes dry. "Yeah, me, too," she says. She looks at him then smiles. "What about you? What's your story?"

"My story?"

Sam nods. "You've never talked about your dad."

"You mean, like, my real dad or…?"

"Yeah."

Leo thinks on it. "My dad was really sick. Cancer. It regressed for a while, but then it came back. He died a few months after I turned six," he says.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

Leo smiles. "So am I. Wish I had known him more, you know? I think that's the worst part, when you don't have memories of them," he says.

"Is he the reason why you do this, too?"

"In a sense, I guess." Then, he amends it with, "Yeah. You know what? Yes. I think it must be it. I remember a promise I made, and maybe that's why living my life in another way doesn't make sense. It feels like it's a waste of my time when I don't help others. Focusing on myself all the time just makes me unhappy, you know?"

Sam chuckles. "Look at what life has done to us," she says.

"I know. It's turned us into a couple of brooding saps," Leo agrees with a grin.

Sam laughs then turns her attention back to the documentary.

A thunder of heavy footstep echoes from the stairs, followed by, "Guys, guys, guys!"

"What?" Leo says, looking suspiciously up at Aries.

Aries wedges himself in between them, laptop on his arm, before excitedly reporting, "Look! I've been looking online for any reports on us, and the _Daily Dispatch_ has us on front page!"

Leo and Sam look closer at the display on the screen, and there they see the headline _MYSTERY HEROES CONTINUE TO KEEP EAST CITIES SAFE_ scrawled across the top of the webpage. The article was penned by a reporter named Caledonia Wyse.

"'After the thwarted hostage situation at the West-Carson Bank just several months ago, many citizens are still left wondering about the identity of the two hooded figures who had been keeping cities in the area safe'," Aries reads. "'Theories abound on this subject, both online and offline.' You guys! People are starting to notice us!"

"That may not be such a good thing," Sam says. She points at a paragraph down the article then explains, "The police are also looking for us. I have a feeling some of them think we're lowlifes trying to upstage them."

Aries shrugs. "Well, we can't please everybody," he says. "Besides, that's just one man's opinion. There are other people in the police who know we're helping them."

"How do you know that?"

"One of Dad's student's dad is a police officer. He says they had appreciated the help on that bridge ops we went to two months ago."

"I don't know, Aries. Sam may just be onto something," Leo says. "People don't know us, and they're cautious. They're not familiar with how we operate yet, and some of them are spooked. Maybe it's best that we keep a lower profile. Attention like this might just bring us trouble."

"Well…Okay."

Not wanting to discourage his best friend, Leo tells him with a smile, "Still. That's pretty cool. That we get this kind of reception makes us officially on the books for being heroes."

"Right?" Aries says excitedly. "And get this: people on the world wide web had given us our names. Well, alter ego names."

Leo grins. "What."

"Yeah, look at this. 'Social media users have taken to their accounts to name the three members of the mystery team.' All of us have codenames and stuff!"

"Wait. Three?" Sam asks. "They only see me and Leo out there. How did they know there are three of us?"

Aries avoids eye contact with her on purpose. "It's the media, Sam. News can leak from anywhere," he says, futilely trying to maintain innocence.

Sam only exchanges a knowing glance with Leo.

"Okay," Aries diverts, "because of the bow and arrow people see you with, you, Sam, had been given the name Quiver."

"Quiver," Sam repeats as she thinks about it. She slowly nods with a smile. "Yeah. Okay. I think I dig that."

"And yours truly is Cypher."

"Okay. Catchy," Sam says approvingly.

"And me?" Leo asks.

"People who had seen you mostly remembers your use of electrokinesis. Some remember the super strength, too, but I think they remember the other one more because of the way those lines on your suit lights up when you power up."

"Huh."

"So, who's Leo's alter ego?"

Aries smirks. "Shockwave."

Leo ponders over that for a while. Since he had been given bionics, since he had become a member of his family's team, no one had given him recognition like that. Now, he has a name, and…he thinks he likes it.

"Quiver, Cypher, and Shockwave," Sam says as she looks at the boys. She chuckles. "Oh, we've really done it now."

Leo agrees. Their team is now known, and their presence has just become established.

* * *

When Amaranth visits again, Sam suggests that the four of them spend the day in the University Square to familiarize her a little with the town. Though the initial awkwardness has mostly worn off (Amaranth _has_ come by several times over now), Leo still thinks that it's a good idea for the girl who he secretly really likes back to get to know his friends more. He wants all the important people in his life to get along, and, after being together for a few hours, it seems to him that that is very possible. Amaranth seems to share Sam's enthusiasm with classical music. At the same time, her sincere curiosity regarding everything comic books has earned her Aries' friendship.

He looks into the bookstore and finds the three waiting in line to check out Sam's and Aries' purchases. He smiles upon seeing Amaranth listening attentively to the muted but still animated conversation between the two. Then, he turns around and casts his eyes to the blue skies above, his cellphone pressed to his ear as he waits for his brother to continue talking.

Chase huffs after chastising someone off the phone. _"These kids are driving me crazy, Leo,"_ he says soon after. _"I don't know why I agreed to take Spin and Bob together on my group. What was I thinking?"_

"You were thinking that if you let Bob and Adam be in the same group, it would be more disastrous," Leo says, taking a sip of his already watered down smoothie.

Chase sighs. _"I really need a vacation,"_ he says.

"Why don't you take one? You've been working hard for a year. You deserve a break."

 _"You know it's not that easy."_

"Whose idea was it to take the students to DC?"

 _"Please don't rub salt on my wounds, Leo,"_ Chase deadpans, and Leo nearly laughs at that. _"It must be nice on your side of the world. All you've got going on is a day out with your friends. I'm jealous."_

"It can't be that bad."

 _"Wanna switch?"_

"Nope." Leo can almost imagine his brother making a face. "Well, at least you're only going to be there for, what? Three more hours?"

 _"Yeah. Then we're back at the island, where more work awaits."_

Leo chuckles. "How exciting."

 _"Hm."_ After a car zips by the street, he hears Chase say, _"Okay, Leo. I have to go. I have to make sure that everyone's accounted for. I told you about one of the students we've been having problems with, right?"_

Leo frowns. "Having problems with? Besides Spin?"

 _"Yeah. As it turns out, we have an escape artist on the roster. The first time she goes missing, we thought she just likes wandering off on her own. You know, just taking a stroll through the island. But then it happens again. And again. Some of her siblings are covering up for her; I think Sebastian the most. But then Taylor—"_

"Taylor?"

 _"S-1. She told us that her sister is usually gone for hours when she leaves. The girl has geo-leaping, so we suspect that she goes out somewhere."_

"Well, can't you just track down her chip?"

 _"We've never caught her in the act. She always goes when we're not looking. Unfortunately, bionic chips don't keep logs of where we've been—well, besides mine and the ones that students with super intelligence have. We have no idea where she's been going and why she's leaving. It really worries us."_

At that time, the doors to the bookstore swing open to make way for Amaranth. As Leo looks at the blonde, a thought occurs to him. His eyes narrow. "This girl. Is she a little shorter, blonde hair, blue eyes?"

 _"Yeah. How did you know?"_

Leo stares at Amaranth when she walks up to him, beaming with a bright smile. (Correction: beaming with a bright, _very cute_ smile.) "I may have some information for you. Let me call you back." Then, he hangs up.

"Aries and Sam are just finishing up," Amaranth tells him.

"Okay, sounds good. Um…" Leo ponders over his next words, not wanting to sound accusatory. "Amaranth? Are you bionic?"

Amaranth tilts her head thoughtfully. Then, she nods. "Yeah," she says factually and notably guiltlessly.

Leo gapes at her. "What? Why didn't you tell me this?"

She shrugs. "You didn't ask," she says. She chuckles as she adds, "Your house at Mission Creek? When we first came? is where I first saw you."

"But, you told Aunt Janice at the Superbowl party that that was the first time I met you," Leo says, confused.

"And that's true. I've known you, but you never knew of me until then," Amaranth explains. When Leo's frown deepens, she says, "When I first came, you were busy with a situation at the hospital with your parents. After we moved to the island, you weren't as friendly anymore. At least that's what Sebastian said. Then you left. I never got a chance to introduce myself to you."

Leo gazes at her, and something about the sadness in her smile tugs at his heart. He tries to recall all those moments from a year and a half ago, tries to remember if he'd caught a glimpse of her, but he comes to the sad conclusion that he hadn't. All along, he had a friend, and he didn't even see her. He smiles a similar sad smile. "I'm sorry," he tells her.

Amaranth understands. "No. I am," she says. "I should have stepped up. Maybe you wouldn't have felt so alone."

"Hey, hey, hey! We got our stuff and some other things, and I think we're ready to…Am I interrupting something?"

Sam smirks and shakes her head.

"Chase is looking for you. Won't you get in trouble?" Leo asks Amaranth, smiling.

"Maybe? Maybe I won't if he finds out I'm with you guys," Amaranth says with a hopeful grin.

"Chase? What – We're missing something here, aren't we?" Aries presses.

Sam nudges Aries. "Come on. Let's go find somewhere to eat," she says, urging him forward. As they walk ahead, Aries reluctantly so, Amaranth follows but not without a glance at Leo.

Leo nods. As he watches her skip away with his best friends, both girls urging Aries onward, he calls his brother back. "Yeah, Chase? I know where your student's at." He grins. "She's here. She's been coming here to Vermont to see me."

* * *

The heat has been unforgiving that afternoon, and by the time they're driving home after training, both Leo and Douglas are very tired. However, instead of the usual silence, the car is filled with their conversation, mostly of Douglas' evaluation on what his nephew can improve on and what he's doing well. Topics flow in one after another as a very refreshing breeze streams in through the rolled down windows. "You're doing great with the steel bo staffs," Douglas comments as he turns to their street. "You have a good command of them. I see you've also learned a few tricks?"

Leo grins, pleased. "Oh, yeah. Came across it accidentally, actually."

"Hm. Janice told me about that little hole on your wall."

And with that, the grin goes away. "Yeah."

"We need to work on your speed, though. You're doing better, covering more distance in a shorter span of time than you used to, but you need to improve more." Douglas pulls up to his driveway then parks. Turning off the car, he tells Leo, "Your agility and stamina need to be worked on, too. You get winded too quickly."

"Oh, come on, Douglas. I'm a frail little boy. What do you expect?" Leo asks as they get out of the car.

Douglas stops in front of him and holds up his index finger. "One? You're not a little boy anymore. At least not as you make it seem like you are. You're eighteen, and though that's still young, it's not a very valid excuse for you not to push yourself a little harder," he says factually. "And two…" He shakes his head a little, and for a swift second Leo sees a hint of pride in his eyes. "Two, you're not frail. Not by any means. A person who can do the things you've managed to do up to this point is not weak."

Leo watches his uncle speechlessly as he makes his way to the house on the right. A big, appreciative smile pulls on his lips as he follows him. "Wait. You mean that?" he asks.

"No," Douglas deadpans.

"If I didn't know any better, I _would_ think that you don't," Leo says. As they ascend the steps, they neglect to notice the unfamiliar car parked in Janice's driveway. Instead, Leo only continues with, "You know what? I do feel like I'm improving."

"You better be, especially if I'm the one teaching you," Douglas says as he pulls open the storm door then comes in. "I have a reputation to uphold."

Leo taps each of his shoes, one after the other, by the welcome mat to shake off the excess dirt in them. "Well, I guess that's true," he says. He nearly bumps into Douglas on the small hallway when he finally comes inside. His brows draw together out of confusion as his uncle remains cemented on a spot, staring at the living room ahead. "Douglas?" he calls to him. When he doesn't move, doesn't hear him, he steps around him to see what it is that bothers him so.

When he sees, he understands.

A concerned expression is on his aunt's face as she looks at them. Those same feelings seem to be reflected on his mother's face, although it seems like she's also bracing for the impact.

His stepfather, however, manages a small smile. "Hello, Leo," Donald says. "How are you?"

And with those five words, the life he has rebuilt seems to crumble back to shambles.

* * *

 _to be continued._


	4. iv

_Huge thanks to AGW, EmeraldTulip, and Mickey12Boo for your reviews! They are really appreciated!_

 _Here's the penultimate chapter to this story. Just to let you guys know, there are mentions of alcohol here, but it's characters of age who consumes it. Nothing crazy. :)_

 _Please enjoy! Any mistakes you see (grammar, spelling, flow, etc.), please do let me know._

* * *

 _iv._

"What are you doing here, Donald?" Douglas asks rancorously.

Donald has expected this, so patiently he answers, "I wanted to come visit you and Leo."

"Okay. Now you've seen us. I hope it was a nice visit."

"Douglas, please," Janice beseeches.

"I know what I've done, Douglas. I know I was wrong," Donald says sincerely. "That's why I came here. I want to make things right."

Douglas glares at him, boiling to the brim with resentment but also with disappointment. He glances back to the eighteen year-old behind him to see how he feels about what was said. Nothing. The young man's eyes are empty. He glowers at his brother. "It's been a year. Of pretending we don't exist," he says. "Tell me why I should believe you."

Donald takes a shaky breath then releases it. "I…can't give you a good reason. I wasn't reliable, I didn't make good choices. And that's why I'm here. I don't want to keep making bad choices. We're not getting any younger, and the last thing I want is to see less and less people around me as the years go by."

Douglas only glares at him, but the honesty in Donald's eyes extinguishes some of his anger. He scoffs bitterly. "Your ego just really let you say that?"

"Ego's out the window when it comes to things that involve the people I care about." When Douglas smirks and shakes his head, obviously not buying it but seems to be somewhat willing to give him a chance, Donald slightly turns towards the sliding doors leading to the backyard. "Douglas, please. Can we talk?"

Douglas is inclined to reject the request. Yet, the minute part of him that urges him to be merciful, just like how his brother was some years ago, wins out, and it causes him to walk out the backyard with him.

Soon enough, the brothers are gone, and their conversation becomes reserved to the trees and the grass under the intense afternoon sun.

However, it doesn't matter to Leo. He's retreated into his thoughts a long time ago, and he heard no words and saw nothing of everything that has just transpired. All he was aware of was the presence of his stepfather and how his mind had decided that he was the culmination of everything he has tried to forget.

Seeing the lost look on her son's face, Tasha tries to talk to him. "Baby—"

"Aunt Janice? I think you were wrong." He looks at his aunt. "I can't forgive him."

Janice takes a breath. She attempts to reason with him, but it fails.

"I'm just going to take a walk," Leo says, and then he goes out the door. He descends the steps leading to the driveway, but the thoughts that suddenly floods into his head only let him go as far as that. Absentmindedly, he takes a seat on a step and stays there.

Though the afternoon blazes, he feels cold. The searing heat from the setting sun is translating as prickling coldness on his skin. The thickness in the air suffocates him. It's making his head spin.

Just like the sedative Krane gave him.

Just like the first night he spent in the freezing isolation room.

Things are going well. He has a nice, quiet life. He has a new set of friends, a new team he can count on! Why does this have to happen? Why does he need to come back? He's accepted it a long time ago that his stepfather will never talk to him again, and he's worked hard to be okay with that. Now, he has to deconstruct an already stable view of what happened a long time ago.

He's trying not to be angry because that's so exhausting. Keeping hurt feelings requires too much effort and wastes so much time. As it is, he had squandered enough resources on it until that truth was brought to his attention. The scars are healing; he doesn't want to irritate it and cut it open again.

But, it's hard. Seeing his stepfather just reminds him of the good and the bad. It causes him to question himself again, causes him to doubt. Was it his fault? What did he do to be looked at the way they did that day? Maybe it's his fault. Maybe he thinks of himself too much. Maybe he's the one who needs to apologize. Maybe those kids are right. He's so weak. Maybe he doesn't deserve anything.

Leo blinks as he remembers that moment just before he destroyed the protective wall around the island to gain Krane's trust. _Leo, what are you doing?_ Adam had asked as he looked at the hand he held over the control panel.

 _Destroying. Isn't that what I do best?_

 _Leo, please. Don't,_ Bree had pleaded. _Don't do it. And let Sebastian go._

 _It's too late. There's no turning back._ He had hoped they would understand what he meant, that they knew him well enough to know that he would never betray them and that what he was going to do next was for their good and for everyone else's.

But he was wrong. He was quickly labeled as a traitor, and even to the day he left the island he was rejected as such.

Traitor.

He looks down at the calluses in his hands, borne from their extensive training with the bo staffs.

Maybe they're right. Maybe he _is_ a traitor.

He then reminds himself that he isn't. He knows what he is, and he knows the reasons for the things he's done. He left because he understands the damage that has been caused and because he knew there was nothing else for him there. His mother and Chase accept that, and even Adam and Bree are okay with that, too. Why should he feel guilty for making something of his life? And why should he chafe at an untrue accusation?

A tempest of rage then guilt, and of inundation then numbness, howls inside his head, and it causes him to lose track of time. By nightfall, he's tired and resigned. He's left staring at the vibrant daylilies on Douglas' yard, slightly smiling as he remembers him and his aunt teasing the inventor for his 'death touch' when it comes to flowers as they helped him set up the small garden three months ago.

He's snapped out of that memory when the storm door squeaks open then hisses close. He doesn't bother to look at who it is, because even after countless months he still has the identification of those footsteps committed to memory.

The person stops just a few steps above him. There's a pause. Then, he takes in a lungful of breath and then breathes it out. "It's kinda nice out here."

Leo doesn't give a reply; it's not needed.

"Listen, I know this is not—"

"I stood up for you, when Grandma called you a bad father," Leo says quietly. "When you were dying, I helped you. To the best I could, I saved Adam, Bree, and Chase when they needed to be. I'm not asking for much. I just want to know why. Why didn't you protect me? Is it because I'm not one of your kids?"

He hears a sigh. "It's not that," he says. "I don't know. I guess I thought you didn't need any help. I thought you were strong and can handle everything that was happening."

"Well, that's another area I disappointed you in, isn't it." He gets up. "Please tell Mom I'll call her later. I need to make a stop somewhere." Then, he walks away.

"Leo, wait."

Though he doesn't want to, he stops. He even turns around to face him, out of respect for him as a person.

Donald walks closer to him, thinking over the words he will say. Then, "When I married your mother, I promised myself that I will take care of you and look after you like you were my own. But over the years, after I saw the things that you can do, all the things that you're capable of, I guess I convinced myself that you don't need my help. You've got the guts to do anything you've set your mind to. You were determined. You were picked on at school, but you adapted to it. As you grew older…I don't know. I guess I slowly started to forget my promise. I forgot that you, and your brothers and sister, too, still need me to be there for you.

"A few weeks ago, when Adam turned twenty-two, I realized that all of my kids are getting older. And as they're getting older, I'm getting older, too. The house is so quiet now. The island is still busy and loud, but – things are not the same. Your mom's been distant, and she doesn't laugh and smile as much when she's around me anymore. Adam, Bree, and Chase don't talk about you when they're around me. I think it's because they don't trust me with the information anymore, or they think that I wouldn't care. Even Sebastian and one of the other students look at me differently since you left."

"So is that why you came?" Leo asks evenly. "Because you feel like you've become the bad guy?"

"In a way," Donald admits. "But I'm more concerned about the consequences. Our family's not the same anymore because I couldn't bring myself to admit I was wrong. I've lost the respect of my wife and my children. I lost the friendship I was starting to regain with my brother. But the worst has got to be the fact that I have lost the chance to watch you become the man you're meant to be. I've seen the news about you and your new team. Things are changing for you, and I don't want to miss any more of it."

Sincerely he adds, "I'm sorry. I should've stood up for you like how you stood up for me. I should've protected you. I should've been more understanding of how the transition affected you. I know I can't ask you to forgive me because I ruined everything for you, but I want you to know that I really wish I had done things differently. I regret that decision I made a year and a half ago because now I know that I would be paying for it the rest of my life."

Leo stares at him, his brows lightly furrowed as he processes his stepfather's words. A part of him wants to consider the idea of rejecting the apology outright, but another stronger, more empathetic part of him knows that he can't do it. He sees remorse in his stepfather's eyes, and he sees that he really has prepared himself to deal with having a gap between him and his family. Leo knows what that's like. He's lived it for months, which felt like forever. He doesn't wish it on anyone, especially not on the man who did love him very much once upon a time.

It's then that it comes to him that he still cares about his stepfather.

"You don't have to," Leo says.

"Don't have to what?"

"Pay for it the rest of your life. That's not what I want." Finally, he says, "You came here to tell me that you would've changed what happened if you could. Thank you. That's all I need."

Donald only stares at him for a while. When he understands, he releases a breath then, a small smile comes to his face.

Leo says nothing. Instead, he walks away from the house and goes into the street where the towering lights are starting to turn on. That chapter of his life has just been closed. After a long time, he's finally at peace with his siblings and with his stepfather.

As that reality sinks, he decides it best if he's alone.

* * *

Janice suggested that the three of them – Douglas, Leo, and she – spend a quick weekend getaway out of Vermont. She has realized that they have yet to spend some days out of town, and what better time to do it when their schedules are beginning to overwhelm them? Douglas doesn't have much problem at work, but she does notice him getting a little weary of seeing the same things over and over again, day in and day out. Leo had just begun his classes a few months ago. Though his living arrangements and schedule are ideal (the university allowed him to stay where he is since he's just a few miles out of campus and because his aunt is a valued faculty member), he still can use the break. After all, juggling being a college student, an employee at a coffee shop, and a leader of their team can get to be too much.

Janice, meanwhile, just hasn't gone out of the city much since she began working at the university there four years ago. Since she has an assistant who she trusts to take over her responsibilities for a few days, she figured she could spend some unused vacation time.

When she brought the idea to the table one night, Douglas and Leo, after thinking about it, agreed to go.

The hotel they stay at, located just outside the busy streets of metropolitan New York, is very beautiful, not to mention peaceful. The rooms aren't very shabby either. It didn't come as a surprise when all three of them overslept on the first night they checked in.

Leo was woken up that very early Saturday morning by a knock on his door. Douglas told him to get ready; they're going to the city for breakfast and to get a few things. Too groggy to object, he mechanically does what he's told.

By ten o'clock, his brain is finally starting to fully wake up. Leo yawns, shivering slightly as he follows Douglas, the chilly late October air pressing in on them. When Douglas stops in front of a store, scanning the display on the window, he stops, too. He looks back and forth between Douglas and the display. He thinks at first that it had just caught his step-uncle's attention, but after they linger longer, he realizes that there's an intention behind the browsing.

"Hm, I don't like these ones. Let's go inside," Douglas mutters to himself thoughtfully before going in through the front door.

A grin slowly rises to Leo's lips as they step in. "Are you thinking of buying an engagement ring?" he asks as his uncle looks around the array of stunning jewelry surrounding the store.

"Maybe. Maybe not," Douglas says before proceeding to a long display case that contains a variety of diamond rings.

"That's why you took me with you. You need my help in finding one."

Douglas says nothing, only continues to look through the selection.

"Good morning. Can I help you gentlemen with anything?" a clerk asked them politely.

"Yes, but maybe in a moment," Douglas replies with a small smile.

"Alright. Take your time," she says, and then leaves.

Leo winces as he sees the price on a set. "It's kinda steep, don't you think?" he asks Douglas quietly.

Douglas shrugs. "I can manage," he says. Then, he adds, "If I sell your ops suit online, I'm sure it can cover the charges."

Leo looks at him unhappily.

"Plus, Grandma Davenport's engagement ring is already spoken for."

"Spoken for?"

"It's on your mom's finger."

"Oh." Right. How did he forget about that? Leo looks down on the glass case, and he sees a ring in one of the collections. Pointing to it with a smile, he says, "That one's nice."

Douglas looks at it thoughtfully. He then calls to the clerk so they can see it up close. Under the lights of the store, the diamond glimmers captivatingly. The band it's set on only adds to its quality. Though it's not diamond studded like its more expensive counterparts, the simple design, though unique, makes the ring very beautiful. Still, he wonders, "You sure she'd like this?"

"Yeah. Aunt Janice has a thing for conventional-but-not-really things. This one's pretty simple, but it's got a little something something that'd keep her interest," Leo says. "Plus, the diamond's kinda, like, blue. She likes that color."

Douglas ponders over it, scanning the ring meticulously.

"If it helps, it's one of the newer ones we have," the clerk informs them. "It's also limited in availability. The designer of that ring only released a small quantity."

"Why?" Leo asks.

"He said he wants a collection that not everybody will have. Makes it unique," she says.

"You're telling the truth, right? You're not, like, just telling us this so we'd buy it?"

The clerk chuckles. "No, no, I'm serious. You can see that information on our website," she says. Gesturing to the other side of the display, she says, "Although, if you want, we can definitely look at the other selection here."

Douglas and Leo exchange glances. Handing the ring back to the clerk, Douglas says, "Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt."

After nearly twenty minutes of browsing, Douglas settles with his choice: the first one.

Leo smiles at Douglas as he fills up a form. "You really love her, don't you?" he says.

Douglas doesn't look up. "You better not tell her about this," he mutters.

"I won't, I won't." And he holds up on that promise.

* * *

On the first Saturday of December, Oliver and Rose stop over at the house after their trip to DC to see their daughter and grandson before going on their flight back to California. Leo is happy to see them because it's been a while. Janice is excited to see them, too, especially her father, because it has been nearly a year since she last saw them in person. It's also because she wants her parents to see that their one and only grandchild is being well taken care of, just as she kept telling them, and that she has a special someone in her life now, just so her mother would stop insisting that she's gonna be too old to find a man.

Douglas, on the other hand, is very nervous. It's the first time he's meeting the parents of someone he's dating, and far from what he's expecting it becomes very nerve-racking too quickly.

Leo begins to pity his step-uncle. Things were okay in the beginning. Douglas politely greeted his grandparents and managed to keep a smile even if his grandmother was shooting daggers his way. He was able to make small talk about the museum in DC that they had visited. Leo even dares to conclude that his grandfather liked him because he was very knowledgeable.

However, after his aunt told his grandparents that Douglas is the man she's been seeing for months now, the one she had been telling them about, everything started going downhill.

It was obvious that Douglas' nerves were getting the best of him. He overdid almost everything. He talked too much, laughed too loud on his grandfather's jokes that, admittedly, weren't even that funny, and he was jittery overall. He was too consumed with wanting to live up to Janice's statement of him being a 'wonderful guy' that he neglects to be content with the things that he does normally and which impresses his girlfriend's parents more.

"Douglas, you're trying too hard," Leo finally tells him after he volunteered to go downstairs in the basement with him to retrieve a bottle of wine. "If you don't stop, you're really going to annoy Grandpa and Grandma."

"I'm trying, okay?" Douglas replies nervously as he pulls out a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. "I just want them both to like me."

"Grandpa _does_ like you. Or at least he did before you started talking his ears off. Just – keep your cool, okay? Grandpa likes smart people who he can talk about different subjects with but who also appreciates he value of silence. He's a very chill guy, and if you keep going on and on, you're going to aggravate him," Leo says. "As far as Grandma? To be honest, she doesn't like a lot of people. And, sorry to say this, but ever since what happened, the Davenport name's kind of tainted in her book."

"Wonderful."

" _But_ , I think you're kind of exempted from that. She's given you a pass."

"What do you mean?"

Leo shrugs. "Well, you moved here with me to help me. She respects that," he says. "And come on; you saw it, too. She loves your cooking. She may not have said anything directly to you, but she made a comment to Aunt Janice about her having to watch her weight if you two keep dating."

Douglas pauses. A smile tugs at an edge of his lips as his brows lightly wrinkle. "She really said that?"

Leo nods. "Just be yourself, man," he tells him. "You'll be surprised how much they're gonna like the normal crabby, moody you."

Douglas shoots a sideway glare towards him, but he heeds the advice nonetheless.

Dinner goes by much smoother after that, and though Douglas is still anxious, he feels a bit more at ease as breezier conversations come back around. It also gives him a boost of confidence when Janice smiles at him encouragingly whenever they catch each other's eyes.

The older couple lingers for a few more hours afterwards, with Oliver and Douglas watching a game downstairs while Rose catches up with Janice and Leo upstairs in his room. By 7:34, they begin saying their goodbyes to the three. After a round of hugs (and a handshake between Oliver and Leo, the grandfather clandestinely slipping a one-hundred dollar bill in his grandson's hand after telling him to do well in school), Rose tells Douglas pointedly, "I don't want to hear you slacking off on your responsibility with my daughter and my grandson, do you understand? I may be old, but I can still catch up with you. You won't be able to outrun me."

"Come on now, Rose," Oliver tells his wife with a smile. "Don't say those things to him."

"Oh, he needs to know. I'm serious." Rose glares at Douglas. "I'm keeping an eye on you."

"Mom," Janice pleads.

"I'll do my best, Mrs. Dooley," Douglas says.

"We're sure you will. This is one of our baby girls. We want her to be well taken care of," Oliver says amiably.

"Yes, sir," Douglas says. Leo notices then that his step-uncle is subtly fidgeting. He only narrows his eyes suspiciously at this.

Oliver smiles wider. "Alright."

"Okay, we have to go. We'll be late for our flight." Rose gives Janice then Leo kisses and then asks them to keep in touch. Oliver smiles at the three. When Janice hugs him, he whispers to her to let him know when they need to come back before letting go then following his wife to the rental car. It confuses Janice, but she dismisses it as a misunderstanding that she would have to call him about later.

Once both of them are in, Oliver turns on the engine and then backs up the driveway. He blows the horn then wave goodbye. Soon, they're gone.

Janice sighs a breath of relief after closing the door.

"Well, that was nice," Leo says as he slips the money into his pocket, adding it to the fifty, twenty, and five dollar bills that his grandmother had given him in secret earlier.

Janice turns around to look at them, and it's then she notices the slightly frazzled state Douglas is in. She takes his hand then smiles consolingly. "Oh, mon chère, it's okay," she tells him. "It didn't go as badly as you probably think it went." When he glances at her nervously, she tells him, "Come on. We didn't get to try that peach cobbler you made. Let's eat it with ice cream."

"Ooh, nice," Leo says, following behind them as his aunt leads his uncle by the hand.

As they cross the living room, Douglas suddenly stops, causing Leo to halt behind him.

Janice, surprised by him letting go, turns around. "Douglas?" she says, confused by his action and by the unreadable look in his eyes. "What's the matter?"

Douglas only gazes at her for a moment. He takes a breath. Then, he gets down on one knee as he draws something from his pocket.

Janice gasps.

"Oh." A grin slowly rises on Leo's lips as he takes out his phone to record the moment. "Oh, okay. I didn't know it's go time."

Janice glances at her nephew briefly before turning her eyes back to Douglas.

Holding the ring up with a somewhat shaky hand, Douglas says, "I'm not good with timing. I don't know if it's proper to do it like this, to do this just when two of the most important people in your life just left, but...I was already nervous, and I didn't want that pressure when I'm asking you this very important question. I'd just start stuttering, and I'm sure I would have said something stupid, or worse – I would have said things to impress your parents rather than say what I'm really feeling about you. But don't worry. I told your dad about this earlier. I explained everything and he said he understood. So, don't think that I chose to disrespect them by waiting 'til they left. I made sure that this'll be done the right way."

Douglas briefly scratches his head. "Um, actually, to be honest, I don't know what's really considered the right way in these things," he admits. "It's been a while since I've been in a relationship. Even then, I never really considered getting this far. We were in college, and things were going well, but then it didn't seem to me that she was serious. It broke my heart when she ended it. Now, I'm really glad she did. Because I found someone who loves me more than I thought I deserved to be loved.

"I wasn't a good person, Janice. I made really bad choices in my life that affected too many people. When I realized that, I started to accept the fact that I will never deserve a lot of anything anymore. I won't get much respect, much admiration. I won't have great friendships. I won't be loved like how Donald's children love him. Like how Tasha loves him. That's how my choices were going to catch up to me, and I've learned to accept it. I would be alone the rest of my life.

"But then I met you, and I can't accept it anymore. I start to want something better than what my past is offering me, and the way you smile at me and look at me tell me it's possible. Actually, when I'm with you, it's like whatever happened before didn't matter. When we were getting closer, I told you all of what I've done because I didn't want you to be disgusted with me when you find out later. But, even when I did, it didn't matter to you." Douglas smiles. "You even told me that one thing. Do you remember?"

Janice nods, tears already welling in her eyes. "'I love you for the man you really are, not the man you used to be'," she says.

Douglas nods. "I will never forget that," he says. "Janice, I love you more than I can ever say. You're the kindest, smartest, most beautiful woman that I know. You make me feel like I can have something better than what I've resigned myself to have. I still don't think I deserve someone like you, but if you give me this chance, I'll make sure to do my best to take care of you. You're very important to me. You, and Leo – you both are reminders to me that I could still be something else in this world. You're my family, and I will protect both of you."

He takes a shaky breath. "I know we've only been dating for a few months, but I'm not really one for prolonged…courting or whatever. It only took a few weeks for me to know that it's you, and now, I'm sure, you're the one." He smiles. "So, Janice Althea Dooley, will you marry me? Is being with me the rest of your life something you'd be interested in?"

Janice covers her mouth with a hand as she nods, tears spilling from her eyes. "Yes," she squeaks.

"Yes?" Douglas repeats with a smile as he rises back to his feet.

Janice nods again then holds her right hand out.

Leo grins as he records Douglas slipping the diamond ring on his aunt's finger. When he holds her in his embrace, he tells him, "Welcome to the family, Douglas. You'll regret it."

Janice playfully swats him on the arm then chuckles as she wipes the tears from her eyes then hugs her future husband tighter.

* * *

"You know, Mom's gonna kill me if she finds out I didn't tell her about your wedding."

There's a pause, the sound of fabric rustling filling the void. Then, "No, she won't."

Leo sighs. This is really putting him in a terrible situation.

This morning, his aunt is scheduled for an appointment at a bridal store Claire has highly recommended. He really didn't want to go, but she had managed to persuade him with the reasoning that she needed the opinion of someone from her family in picking the right gown for the wedding. He tried to reason that her best friend, whom she had, of course, chosen as her maid of honor, and Sam, who would also be a part of the wedding's very small but close-knit entourage, would be coming with her, but his aunt and Claire had pointed out that he still needed to be there for support.

So, for the past hour, he had been sitting with Claire and Sam, giving his opinion on the wedding dresses that both of them, and the bride-to-be, had picked.

"I've told her several times that if I ever get married, it'd be small and quick and would involve whoever in my family's around," Janice says, her voice echoing out of the dressing room. "She probably still thinks I'm kidding. I'm serious about it."

"But doesn't Grandpa know about it?"

"Yes, he does, honey, but he knows the deal," Janice says patiently. "I've told him about how I'd like my day to be years ago, and he understands."

"And he and Grandma will be flying back here two weeks from now."

"Yes."

"See? That's worse! The three of you know, but Mom doesn't. That's gonna put me in a bend."

Janice chuckles. "Leo, don't worry about it. The responsibility for this decision will all fall on me," she says. "Plus, Tasha will know eventually. If she really wants to, we can plan a belated, part two reception after Douglas and I come back from Saratoga. I really just don't want all the stress with the planning. I'm a small wedding, big marriage type of person—not that there's anything wrong with big weddings, big marriages. What we have planned is good enough for me and your uncle."

Leo leans back on the couch, his shoulders sagged. He wishes not worrying about it is that easy.

Claire pats his knee encouragingly. "Oh, come on, darling, lighten up," she tells him. "We're shopping. This is supposed to get rid of all the stress."

Leo looks at her, ready to complain, when Janice says, "Okay…I'm coming out in dress number two in a longer trail…" The door to the fitting room opens then out she walks, the consultant who helped her following behind. The wedding gown looks more elegant and exquisite than it did earlier, probably because the one she has on fits her so much better, and it flows so beautifully around and behind her. The structured metallic off-shoulder sleeves frame her so nicely. However, what makes it the most stunning is the bright, radiant smile on its wearer's face. "What do you guys think?" Janice asks.

"Maybe we can add a veil?" the consultant suggests as Claire, Leo and Sam stare speechlessly. When she comes back, she fixes the veil carefully on Janice's hair, and then she steps back, allowing the three to see and Janice to look at herself in the mirror.

Claire dabs her eyes with her finger the same time Janice's eyes watered. "Ugh, I know I should've worn waterproof mascara," she tells Janice, and they both laugh.

"You're so beautiful in that, Janice," Sam says with a smile.

"Thanks," Janice tells her. Then, she turns towards Leo.

Leo smiles. He can tell that his aunt is happy, and that makes him happy, too. After all, that's what he wishes for one of the women who had been there for him in the darkest moments of his life. "Like a queen," he says, and he promises then to help his aunt to have the wedding she wants – even if it does put him in a bit of trouble.

* * *

Two days before the wedding, Douglas, Leo, Mr. Rodriguez and Aries spend a night out on the town for a semblance of a bachelor's party. Douglas has insisted it wasn't necessary ("I've been single for forty-two years. There's nothing to celebrate about it"), but Mr. Rodriguez says that a couple of drinks in the city's famous sports bar wouldn't hurt. He still doesn't favor the idea too much, but when Leo tells him that a number of Janice's women friends are coming over for the bridal shower that same night, a number of whom had expressed interest in meeting him, he finally agrees.

Hanging out with the guys is nicer than how Douglas expected it to be. Mr. Rodriguez – or Jaime, to Douglas – has offered him sound advices for good marriage over a few bottles of his favorite brew. Douglas has appreciated it, especially when he's told that the key is not only staying in love with his future wife but also being her best friend. Aries only asks his mentor a few questions about the wedding, but soon enough he veers into other random topics.

Leo only watches. He chimes in from time to time. As the only one in the group not of legal age for any alcohol, he's preoccupied with the food brought in periodically.

They come home at midnight, with Leo dropping off the Rodriguez's beforehand. However, instead of going straight to sleep, Douglas decides to invite Leo over to his house (which, with their new living arrangements, will be Leo's house in a few days). He says he's going to teach him how to play chess properly. Leo's not too sure how sound that plan is because it seems to him that his uncle won't be able to focus too well, but he goes anyways.

After three rounds, nearly a little over an hour after they got home, Douglas beats him three to zero.

"You have to watch your moves," Douglas says before taking a swig of his drink. "You can't have the mentality of doing away with many of my pieces in an attempt to outnumber me. Outnumbering someone doesn't necessarily mean beating them. I can have just my king and my queen, and I can still beat you."

"I'm trying," Leo says as he moves a rook.

Douglas moves a bishop straight across the board, eliminating the rook. He then hitches a brow at his nephew and best man. Leo sighs exasperatedly, rolling his eyes. "You gotta outthink me, kid," Douglas says.

"How? You're a mastermind." Leo scowls at the drink after Douglas takes another gulp. "Did you not have enough of that at the bar already?" he asks, annoyed.

"No. At least not of this," Douglas says. He clears his throat as he sits up. "Look. It doesn't matter what I am. You can't doom yourself to a bad outcome just because you think I will always win because I'm smarter. You have a team now that you have to take care of. As a leader, you have to always do your best. There are many people you're going to have to best from this point forward, all bad people, and some of them will be smarter than me. Stay sharp. Be three steps ahead all of the time. Only then can you win the game."

Leo looks thoughtfully at the board and the remaining pieces on it. He knows Douglas is right. Leading a team means carrying a heavier responsibility, and he can't make any excuses. He has to be smarter than what he thinks he's only capable of.

After plotting a few moves and predicting the possible outcomes, he moves his remaining knight.

Douglas moves his bishop, clearly dismayed. "You're making it too easy for me."

Leo eliminates the bishop with a rook. He smirks.

After seeing what just happened, Douglas nods, smiling. "Good," he says. He moves a pawn forward then leans back on his reclining chair. He closes his eyes after pulling up the cover to his shoulders. "Are your grandparents coming tomorrow?"

"Yeah. They're staying until Sunday morning, and then they're going back to Cali." Leo continues to frown at the chessboard as he plans his next move. "So, Saratoga, huh. I heard they have really nice hotels there," he commented after moving a pawn.

Douglas opens an eye to peek then closes it back. "Move the rook a square ahead," he instructs, which Leo does. He exhales. "Yep. Came as a recommendation."

Leo smirks. "Aunt Claire?"

"No. This lady at the hospital. She works at HR. Father works as a manager at the hotel."

"Cool."

"You think your mom knows yet what's happening Saturday?"

"No. She has no idea about it. None of them do." He looks up momentarily from the board. "Why? Do you want them to know?"

"Maybe later. I'm with your aunt on this one. Thirteen, fourteen people are enough for now. Not only that, but they're all probably busy."

Leo thinks over why that is so then nods when he remembers. "Oh, right. The transition to the new teams and new headquarters," he says. "How long has it been since? A month?"

"Hm."

"Who told you about it? Chase?"

"Donald."

"Oh, okay." Leo's brows wrinkle as he asks, "I wonder how it's going for them. I haven't gotten a chance to talk to Adam, Bree, or Chase in a few weeks. Last I heard, they got an offer from a government agency that we haven't really heard of before. Sounded like it's very undercover." He doesn't get a response. Still, he continues to stare at the board pensively to choose the best move.

A few minutes pass, and he finally fulfills his turn. "Okay, I'm good. It's your turn, Douglas. Douglas?" His uncle doesn't stir. In fact, the call seems to have fallen on unhearing ears. Instead, there's only the steady rhythm of his breathing. Leo calls to him but again, no response. He's set on tapping him to wake him, but he realizes that Douglas is tired. Those drinks probably didn't help either.

"Douglas?" he tries one last time, a little louder. Nothing. A smile lightly tugs at his lips as he begins to put the chess pieces back to their original places. "Of course you'd fall asleep when things are starting to go well for me," he mutters. Then, musing out loud, he says, "You know, I don't think I ever got to thank you for sticking with me. It might not seem like a very big deal to you, but it is to me. I realize that you may not have done it for me, but I still appreciate it. You left behind the better life you were making, your blood family, for a stranger. You're a really good guy. Nobody can tell me you're not."

He hesitates for a moment before adding bravely and sincerely, "The things you've done…I think my dad would have appreciated you doing it for me." After finishing with the chess board, he says, "I can't be any happier for you and Aunt Janice. You both deserve to be with the person that makes you the happiest. And who loves you a lot. Being your best man will be my privilege." He chuckles. "And I'm only telling you these things because I know you won't ever remember it."

Leo gets up from his seat then, and after seeing that his uncle is well-covered, he proceeds to the stairs. Before ascending, he turns off the light then says goodnight. Not long after, the front door upstairs opens then shuts close.

Once it does, Douglas opens his eyes. He glances at the neatly arranged chess board and then at the floor above. He shakes his head, a light smirk on his features, before going back to sleep.

The kid really needs to learn the difference between a beer and a ginger ale.

* * *

The wedding takes place on a Saturday morning, at one of the small but still sizeable event halls in an art museum managed by a good friend of Claire's. The scene is breathtaking. The dark marble pillars add so much character to the space. The light filtering from the glass roof above, shaped and engineered like a prism, showers the room with a picturesque glow. The decorations, which almost everyone involved in the wedding had labored on, makes everything all the more lovely.

It's clear to Leo beforehand that Douglas is terribly nervous even if outwardly, it doesn't seem so. So, before the ceremony begins, he and Aries try to distract him with the new system they had just put into place regarding the operations they go to. It helps, but the work is undone once they begin.

Standing beside his step-uncle (the designated 'step-' to be eliminated shortly), he finds it funny what big moments like this does to a man. Douglas is usually very objective and not given to any emotions easily, but once the prospect of seeing his bride comes into play, he becomes a different man.

It's good, though. That his aunt brings out those kinds of feelings from him means that Douglas really, truly has much affection for her.

The world seems to slow down when Janice, escorted by her father, walks down the aisle. She looks so beautiful. Leo doubts Douglas could find any courage to breathe, or take his eyes off her.

The wedding is pretty short – at least to Leo, when he compares it to his stepfather and mother's wedding. There was a relatively short speech from the officiant, then came the vows, the rings, and then the reintroduction of the couple as Mr. and Mrs. Douglas and Janice Davenport. The picture taking afterwards seems to take longer, but mostly because the photographer's equipment initially acted up. In addition, Claire demanded too many shots, and the poor photographer got too confused.

The reception takes place at a banquet hall of a nice hotel. Mrs. Rodriguez, Halmeoni Park and Grandma Russel had done an outstanding job with organizing everything. Though smaller in comparison like the event hall at the art museum, the place looks stunning. It's simple yet elegant, and the couple really likes it.

Their day finishes out after Douglas and Janice, now in their home and surrounded only by their family, opened the last gift from their friends. They're both clearly exhausted and want to call it a day when Oliver and Rose hand over an envelope containing their gift.

It sufficiently wakes them up—and rightfully so, for it held roundtrip tickets and a reservation to a hotel in Maui.

"Is it too late to cancel your previous plans for next week?" Oliver asks his daughter and son-in-law with a smile.

Between New York and Hawaii, Douglas and Janice pick the sunniest.

* * *

"Make sure everything is powered off, and anything that needs to be unplugged is unplugged. Oh, and please make sure the doors are locked. Don't even think about leaving any keys remotely close to the door. You understand?"

Leo chuckles. "Yes, Aunt Janice, I understand," he says.

Janice nods. She looks at Aries then Sam with a worried expression on her face before turning her attention back to her nephew. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?" she asks.

"Yes. I'm eighteen. I can handle a little road trip with these guys," Leo says, nudging Aries. He looks around the busy airport where a steady traffic of people surrounded them before saying, "Don't worry about me, Aunt Janice. You and _Uncle_ Douglas enjoy Hawaii."

"Hm. Still don't like that uncle tag," Douglas says.

Leo grins. He knows.

"You call us if there's any problem, okay? Or even when there's no problem, just call," Janice says.

Leo laughs. "I will call only when necessary. I don't want to ruin your vacation," he says sincerely.

Janice hesitates but soon yields into saying their goodbyes. "Take care of yourself, little lion, alright?" she says before giving her nephew a kiss on the forehead.

"I will."

Douglas only nods at Leo, but the hint of a smile on his lips tells the teenager that he wants him to be careful, too, and to enjoy the short out of town weekend trip he had planned with his friends. After pulling up their luggage, he and his wife head towards customs.

Leo grins after the couple is admitted in. "Douglas, buy me a souvenir," he jokes.

"I'll get you a postcard," Douglas deadpans, and it causes his wife to chuckle at their banter.

Leo laughs. He, Aries, and Sam watch them both proceed in until they turn a corner and are out of their sight.

Aries sighs with a small smile. "Well, there's that," he says. "I'm kinda hungry. Let's go eat somewhere."

"I am not against that," Sam says as she turns on her heels, following the older boy out of the sliding doors. "Do you remember where you parked?"

Aries' response is drowned out to Leo when his phone begins to buzz. Drawing it out, he stops walking to check who it is. "Big D?" he picks up, the worry in his voice causing Aries and Sam to turn around.

 _"Leo,"_ Donald says gravely. _"I need help from you and your team."_

* * *

 _to be continued._


End file.
